LARAMIE: THE BUCKBOARD INCIDENT

Births THE SHERMAN-HARPER CATTLE CO. Part 1

A Trilogy. Synopsis: Slim loses the buckboard over the side of the road severely injuring Jess. Jess' rehab and their visit to cattle ranch to claim his poker game IOU changes the lives of everyone.

Part One: The Buckboard Incident

Table of Contents

Chapter Title

1 Road Warriors

2 Rescue

3 Regrouping

4 Wake Up – I Made It?

5 No Substitutions Allowed

6 Prep for Road Trip

7 Road Trip – The Arrival

8 Morning Memories

9 The Master Plays Poker

10 Time Out

11 Teetering

12 The Confession – Secrets of the Heart

13 When Goodbye is Hello Again

14 Arrival Home

15 Refibished Knees, Fences and Letters

16 Heart to Heart – Lost Family

17 Junior's Visit: Bulls and Mineral Rights

18 The Tie Down, Head & Heel and Branding

End of Part One

FOREWARD (please read)

Story Rating: General Audience Adult themes, contains reference to marital abuse and child violence. Time period circa 1850-1870 Wyoming and Texas. This story is based on the TV series "Laramie" which I do not own or claim ownership or intend profits. It is merely intended to create a story with the characters had they continued the series. Information within this story would be true to the society of that day. Additionally, little information was given as background to the Jess Harper character during the episodes. In the actual series Jess admitted the Harper side of the family tree was no good and the only ones left was his sister, Francie and himself. Her age was unclear in the chronology of the siblings implied she was younger in one episode and older in the other, she was or had died, but it was left at the end she was alive. In another episode Jess tells that there were seven in his family but only three came out of the burning house alive in the actual Bannister raid but doesn't specify who the three were or how long they lived afterward; that he was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas where his family worked shares on a ranch and that he had spent years looking for the gang; while the gang was found but he was not instrumental in their deaths. This is the outline for the memories referenced in this story, however, in filling in some of those details, the author has added details that would have been common to the society of that day. This would be in why the Harper side was not good, some details to a typical gang raid of the time about how his family died, and the type of marriages that occurred in that age. These details are referenced are all done by memory recall but some are graphic or allude to graphic situations that are adult themed and the reader(s) should be so advised. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT, plus the hope and intent of this author that the audience will realize the use of these graphic situations is not to draw attention to the event itself, but to tell the surrounding story and the EFFECT they had on Jess' life. It touches on how he managed to OVERCOME his past and become the endeared Hero to lead other people with similar traumas into a more happy and productive life which the actor, Robert Fuller, so capably depicted. This story contains a lot of entertainment but it is also for a tribute to the character's positive affect he brought through the screen into many people's lives changing them for the better. Mostly we can attribute to the character and his actor the HOPE that he brought so they, too, could overcome their own adversity as Jess did by following the trail he blazed. This story is about how good can come from bad things if we stay focused and true to ourselves and those closest to us…and we keep going no matter how painful. The author has not consulted with Robert Fuller in writing any stories and they have been done without his consent or knowledge. However, they are written as a result of the inspiration his depiction of this character has had on the author's life and would be dedicated to him whether or not I ever meet him as my expression of appreciation for the many lives he has changed bringing to life the dynamics of this fictional character. This would be true harmonically of the actor John Smith and his character. From the Quill of: RR Ferree Mar-June 2017

CHAPTER 1: Road Warriors

"Would you slow down! Anybody mention the road is slick from the rain earlier?" Jess' voice cracked as he tried to crawl back onto the bench seat from the rear cargo area of the Sherman ranch's buckboard. They were headed back to the ranch from town having loaded up on fencing material and a few groceries. Jess had one hand on the back of the bench, the other was reaching for his hat that was trying once again to learn how to fly solo in the typically heavy Wyoming wind they were driving into.

"Just who taught you how to drive!" Jess complained.

"Been driving this buckboard ever since my legs could reach the brake. Nobody taught me, I was born to it!"

Slim retorted back his jaw set in a summer-tanned stern face. Slim had not been in a good mood since breakfast and had been steadily going downhill since. The accountability of a ranch was weighing heavy on the big guy because it was constantly a money pit never able to get ahead and stay ahead. It seemed always pennies to the end of each month for years and years even with the stage income. The list of things needing to be done before winter and the lack of funds to do it wore sores under the responsibility that saddled him.

"Ya, well that explains all the cracked wood and bailing wire holding this ship together. Where's the dad gum fire anyway? OW!"

His hat rescued deep onto his forehead, Jess' hand had grabbed the side rail of the bench trying to finish getting his legs over the seat back, but slipped off as the buckboard bounced over a pot hole on his side of the road. To keep from being pitched overboard on his nose, he had to compensate and his bum landed hard half on the bench seat half landing on Slim's hip. Jess was checking his glove to see if it had gotten torn by a wood thorn that seemed to decorate the exposed parts of the wooden chariot.

Slim frowned at Jess as if he was contagious.

"Hey! You need the whole bench, turkey-butt!?"

Jess swiveled facing Slim becoming animated,

"Turkey…bb! Hey, I ain't got much padding back there and you driving like a posse's after ya, bouncing all over the road aiming for every dog gone pot hole, don't help none!"

Between bumps and hanging on Jess looked around the bench area like a chicken checking out her coop before landing.

"There used to be a pillow on this seat."
"Ach! Pillows are for girls. It's on the floor. 'Sides, you got enough butt for sitting, its hips you ain't. Don't have a clue how you keep that holster from fallin' off."
"Ya, well, a lot of good 'at pillow's doin down there while you're bustin' my butt up here! And that holster stays up by sheer will power if it's none of your business. What's eatin' you anyway?"

"Nothin'!" Slim snapped back.

"C'mon, you've been grouching like an ol' bear all day."

"Why don't you try carrying the responsibility of this ranch sometime?" Slim retorted. They heard the new shovel riding in the back shift at a pothole and fall to the floor of the cargo box.

"You get that load secured back there?" Slim griped.

"Ya, like whoever packed it never saw a buckboard before."

"I packed that cargo, but if you'd have broken into your heavy social schedule long enough you could've helped, you know. Winter's coming early this year and we have got to get that fence on the south end finished so we bring the cattle down. I told you that when we came into town this morning, but "no!" you had to run off to the saloon and check on all the latest gossip."

Some of the steam from under Slim's collar could not be contained any longer.

"Wasn't my fault the Double K Bar S hands got there first and cleaned out Luke's barn supplies. And since the new freight load was due to arrive in the hour, it gave me a chance to go pay back drinks next they were in Laramie, like I'd promised at the end of that last drive you sent me. You remember me telling you about their stock, solid, beefy, better'n I've seen anywhere between here and Texas."

"You didn't have to get caught up in that poker game while you were paying back drinks. You're always finding a way to get out of work, Jess. I've never seen anybody so skilled at getting out of the hard stuff. 'Sides, we got some fine lookin' stock of our own."

"They were already in a game when I got there. Would've been sheer rude to not accept their invite. 'Sides, you're just jealous."

"Am not!"

Slim's gaze was firmly set on the road ahead. He was jealous but hell would freeze over before he'd admit Jess' luck. Especially to Jess' face.

"Are, too!" Jess teased back while smiling, but the blond rancher was not caving.

"Am NOT!"

Still bouncing on the bench and wincing with his bum strikes on the hard wood, grinning ear to ear, Jess pulled out a piece of paper and a wad of cash from inside his shirt pocket and waved it annoyingly at Slim.

"I'd like to see you win this. Don't often parlay a hand like I had, ya know. 'At takes skill!"

"Ya, well….that was …not…"

"Wasn't easy winning all this! Ya gotta read the table, the players, what's been thrown down. Timing! It's an art. 'An IOU Bill of Sale for a bull and 5 springing heifers of my choice from their stock, and delivered, AND $4000 cash to boot! All's we got to do is go pick them out before the 1st of the month before they take off on a new drive north." Then adding while gleefully jabbing an elbow in Slim's ribcage, "Road trip!"

Jess was about to explode in boyish elation as though he'd earned a million dollars by sheer skill. Slim looked briefly at Jess' hands stuffed with cash and prizes, then back at the road and grumped…. "ugh!" unable to deny Jess' skill at networking with people, never seeming to meet a stranger.

"First of the month is only two weeks away and there's no time in the schedule for that with winter coming so early."

"Just think, Slim! We can cross breed these into our stock and build a whole new line. It'll set a standard around here and bring the price of beef back up. A couple years, the rain holds like we've been getting keeping the pastures up…we can double the value of the ranch. And if we can pick up extra heifers that are covered, or buy a couple extra springing heifers we can do it even faster. HEY! What's a new buckboard cost anyway?"

Jess waved the cash and looked around underneath them at the squeaking old family station wagon.

"Can you just imagine driving a new one of these, Slim? One you don't have to yell to be heard over the squeaks! I've never driven anything new."

"'Bout $65 last I checked. You've driven new stages before."
"Nope, told us they were new, but they were all refibished." Jess couldn't remember the correct word.

"You mean refurbished?"

"Ya, 'at's what I said, you know, all patched up and repainted and the like."

Jess could tell Slim's attitude wasn't getting any better and he cocked one side of his mouth back in disappointment not getting Slim to share in his dream of investing something of worth into the Sherman enterprise.

"Here…." Jess folded everything back up and started stuffing them into Slim's shirt pockets inside his vest while Slim's hands were too busy to interfere,

"You keep these as my earnest money investing into the Slim Sherman Enterprises in return for all you've done for me!"

The move invading his pockets completely startled Slim and he recoiled as though being frisked by an overly hormonal flirtatious female undressing him. Trying to bat Jess' hands down yet having to maintain the reins on the horses, caused Slim to pull the horses up slower and the buckboard waffled some side to side as the horses began to lose communication from a speed driven driver.

"What the….name of….are you…. .eh!... doing. JESS! I'm …gunna….get your stinking… hands out of my…..!"

For several moments anyone watching would have sworn the two of them were playing patty cake like toddlers and the smaller child was getting the better of the taller one. Delighted with his success, Jess reset himself on the bench wiping his hands off and smiling at getting the goods secured on Slim. Slim tried to regain some dignity at being handled, was looking down and squaring his clothes back up. Jess noticed the horses had eased up some and were riding the high side of the well-defined ruts when a movement in the shadows in the road ahead caught his sight. Without making any noticeable movement, Jess punched Slim's thigh covertly and his voice dropped to its lowest baritone and became as cold as though calling out a gunfight,

"Slim."

Somewhat rattled trying to regain the hold on the reins and annoyed, Slim looked at Jess.

"NOW, what!" he nearly screamed.

Then the color drained from his face as he saw the serious look on Jess' face that recognized was only there when Jess was staring at trouble.

"Ahead, Slim. The shadows about quarter mile on your side. Three of them. You know 'em?"

"No, but Luke said Mort had been by earlier looking for 3 rowdies who'd bushwhacked ol' man Johnson and his wife yesterday on the other side of town. Youngsters, one riding a blanket appaloosa….like that one ahead."

The closer they came, the shadow riders eased back into the trees along the road hoping they hadn't been spotted and too stupid to realize Jess had the keen eyesight of a gunfighter.

"We're getting too close to the ranch, Jess. Run or stand and fight?" Slim queried Jess.

"Daisy and Mike are at the ranch, and this wagon's too heavy to out run, but it has some good cover in the back and the rifle's under the seat. Maybe you should sweet talk them…." Jess was strategizing out loud.

"Welp…too late, Jes…."

Just as Slim spoke, the 3 riders with bandannas covering their faces came at them on a charge just off in front of them having skirted closer from behind the trees, all firing away with handguns. The wagon quickly passed them as they fell in behind it.

"Go, Slim!" Jess spoke low and Slim raised the horses into a full run.

Jess drew his .45 and against the sudden forward jerk of the wagon, tried to get back over the bench and down into the fencing materials and groceries for cover. His first shot dropped the middle man instantly but in the process of climbing over the bench, he caught a round diagonally through his right shoulder instantly causing him to drop the .45. His legs dropped off the bench, the impact of the hit to his shoulder drove his body backwards against Slim's back when a second round caught him in the stomach, squaring him into Slim, taking both rounds from hitting Slim. Feeling Jess's body hit him, Slim scooched forward and down into the foot well continuing to drive the team forward. Jess dropped into the front area of the cargo hold and with his left hand reached for the rifle under the bench replacing his .45 lost somewhere under the fencing.
"Jess?" Slim called, not sure why Jess had bounced against him thinking it was the potholes bouncing the wagon, and was unable to look behind for trying to control the horses on a slippery road at high speed.

"Jess?!" Still no answer.

Then just behind the bench Slim heard the rifle go off twice and barely enough time for a quick look back from his side vision he saw the 3rd rider fall. He couldn't see Jess anywhere and called again,

"Jess!?"

"Ya….here. You ok, Ssssl…." Jess' voice didn't sound normal, but Slim couldn't take his concentration off the horses and the bouncing wagon because the horses had grabbed their bits.

Jess saw all three riders go down, and began to feel pain in his body as shock began to hit him. He lowered the rifle and it fell to the bed of the wagon from his numb hand. The rifle had been butted up to his wounded right shoulder which was now bleeding and his entire arm was completely numb and unmoving. His core was screaming but in looking down to check it, he noticed his left foot was tucked up past halfway underneath the pile of wood fence posts and in the bouncing of the wagon, he couldn't pull his foot back to free it. Going into a fog from the shock, at a distance he heard Slim's voice, "Horses have the bits, Jess. Here comes the bend in the road…!"

Then with tremendous concern Slim's voice was near a scream,

"Jump, Jess! The rigging's loose!"

Half way through the near 45 degree turn in the road, the harness pin holding the rig to the team jumped free and the team separated from the buckboard sending the wagon rolling down the steep embankment off the road with Jess trapped in the fencing. Slim had been able to jump free of the buckboard onto the haunches of the team, but losing the reins, he slid off behind them to the ground and rolled to a stop completely muddy from the wet road and dazed with the wind knocked out of him.

CHAPTER 2: Rescue

Slim sat up, fuzzy headed gasping for air trying to figure out which direction of the compass his feet were pointed then quickly remembered the rear ends of the horses disappearing over the edge of the road. Trying to stand up in the slippery mud he could tell he'd be sore the next few days and have some bruises where the sun doesn't shine….but he had to ….where…how was Jess? Barely aware of his muddiness, he had to walk slightly uphill to get back to the bend in the road and quickly found the wheel tracks. He turned to face their direction of departure off the side of the road and a lump materialized in his throat.

"Jess!?" he whispered suddenly looking around doing a 360 degree panoramic search of the road and easements, he called louder, "JESS!"

No answer, just a silent forest, not even birds were singing. Becoming more and more alarmed, Slim jogged around an ever widening circle still looking for any shred of evidence other than wheel tracks going off the hillside down into the ravine below. A few feet off the road following the tracks, looking down, Slim found Jess' hat laying brim side up just out of the mud of the road, and a few steps down the slope he found Jess' .45 picking it up and finding one round missing. Under his breath he whispered a prayer, "Oh, God, please no!" Down the embankment about 20 feet where it began to get steeper in descent, he began to see fencing debris in piles as though dumped at different times. The angle of the embankment going down into the ravine was steep and doable on foot, but any material goods, like a wagon or fencing would take ropes and man power to retrieve. Slim looked up skyward checking the daylight, it was maybe 2 or so, and this time of year, he had until about 7pm for light. Not enough time to go on foot to the ranch for supplies and get back, and he didn't know how far the horses had run off before stopping or the reins catching them. He was going to have to go down the ravine to try to find Jess without any ropes or equipment. If Jess was hurt, time was of the essence. He felt something sticky from Jess' gun in his hand and rechecked it. His heart sank as he found blood not quite dry on the barrel side of the cylinder. Jess was a mixture of a little bit cowboy and sometimes little boy, and always seemed to get dirty, or dusty and sweat never seemed to bother him, but one thing was for certain, Jess' guns and his gear, even his horse, was always impeccably clean. Seeing the blood on the gun caused the tall, blond rancher's heart to sink into his boots. Suddenly Slim remembered Jess putting the Bill of Sale and all that cash into his shirt pocket and quickly reached to check it. They were still safely in place, but Slim thought better of it, and tucked them into his hip pockets where nothing could get at them. Off the side of the road was a small tree that had been run over by the buckboard and had broken off about 2 feet off the ground, so he dragged the top broken part of the tree into the road as a road block and put Jess' hat on top the highest limb with the gun tucked inside it. Mose and the afternoon stage would be due through this road in about an hour, maybe he could get it to stop and have some help. Walking back to the edge of the road, in desperation, Slim screamed one last time at the top of his lungs, "JESS!" Trying to hear beyond his own heartbeat pounding in his chest, Slim listened for any sound that could be a response, but there was nothing.

Fighting tears Slim began slipping and sliding his way down the embankment headed for the first pile of fencing. Reaching the first pile he could see more clearly over the decent where there was one more stack of fencing materials, then a third pile was the wagon on its top, wheels in the air like an overturned monster sized bug. It was broken in pieces but still hanging together in the general shape of a buckboard, although Slim was clueless how. The first pile he reached were the wooded posts that had been wired together, but were now only still attached to each other by one set of wires. On the end of one of the wood posts was a 2" piece of torn black leather that look like it had been scraped off a leather boot maybe, or a vest, Slim couldn't be sure. Nothing was under the posts so Slim stepped up on a couple that were stable and stretched himself as tall as he could and surveyed the immediate area, screaming one more time, "JESS!" Still no answer. Further down another 15 feet or so was the middle pile of rubble and Slim slid his way to it barely keeping his feet. This pile contained the roll of barbed wire, several sealed pails of nails and fence clamps and the new shovel now with a broken handle. Upon inspection, Slim found some of Jess' clothing on the roll of wire and they were soaked in blood. It took every ounce of control the big guy could muster to keep from throwing up his innards at the degree of shredding he saw on the tough denim cloth. Slim hated barbed wire, but it was the cheapest for the sheer size of acreage he owned and he'd seen his share of cattle and other wild animals caught and torn in barbed wire. It was never pretty, but it was all he could afford. This was not going the right direction and Slim's hopes were sinking fast. He stood back up grabbing his chest trying to get air to move, sweat pouring off of his forehead under the fallen blond hair. He looked around the area here, too, not finding Jess. Angrily he swept his teary face off on his shoulder only to get mud mixing with it into his eyes which burned. Quickly pulling the shirttail from inside the front side of his britches, he managed to get the offending mud mask off before it could set. Trying to suck in some air, in torment, Slim tried to scream Jess' name again, but it came out like a whimper and Slim bent over leaning onto his knees, tortured with the remaining possibility. The overturned wagon was sitting another 15 feet away, not such a deep slope to it, but Slim could see it was resting on some small boulders which was why it had held its shape even though broken. Those boulders were also keeping the wagon from going on further and had prevented it from pummeling all the way to the bottom of the ravine. After a few moments rest and surveying the wagon, Slim stood back up and proceeded down the slope to the wagon, sliding the last 3 feet but making sure he didn't hit the wagon and shift it. It was upside down, the near side's cargo wall had broken and the wagon was tilted toward him resting on the bench's backrest and the other cargo wall. The tailgate was gone but access through that end was blocked by a huge boulder holding up the rear end of the bed. The wagon seemed stable enough, but Slim moved carefully anyway. His check of the surrounding ground held no evidence so he called into the cargo area,

"Jess!? Are you in there, Jess?" and prayed quickly in his heart. Still nothing.

Slim tapped the upside down floor and the boards were loose, held on only by a few nails. Gently he tugged on the loosest board and it came off rather easily and Slim muttered under his breath, "Finally!" The wagon didn't move, so he grabbed the next floorboard and wiggled it free, tossing it aside next to the first one. This opened enough space into the cavity of the cargo area and, because it was tilted his direction, Slim could lean over and see into the space. His heart literally skipped a beat, but he didn't notice. Inside he could see in the shadows the form of Jess' body. He quickly, but gently ripped off the final two floor boards allowing light to enter the cavity. Jess was laying somewhat curled but mostly on his back, but his upper body was covered with the unfurled yard good fabric Daisy had asked Slim to pick up from the store for her. Jess was laying on top of some smaller boulders with his head and shoulders on top of the huge bag of flour they had also picked up in groceries. Somehow, the flour sack had not broken open and Slim noted that Jess' head had landed on this softer surface, where everything else around him was hard enough it would have caused a major head injury or even killed him. Jess' head was on the tail gate side of the wagon and the unbroken wall of the cargo area had pinned Jess' right leg to the boulder beneath him all the way from his knee up to above his hip and completely off of him just below Jess' rib cage in the flank area. Under the entire length of the edge of the wagon Slim could see shredded fabric covered in blood, the right shoulder was covered in blood as was his stomach, but an unbroken sack of sugar was on top his stomach and another sack of beans was laying on top his shoulder. Slim began shaking his head at all the "could have gone wrongs" were in reality, areas where Jess had been somehow miraculously protected. Banged up and seriously injured, but so many other things could have been worse. Gently Slim climbed into the wagon carefully monitoring any shift or danger, and was able to finally reach and clear Jess' face. As he got closer he could see Jess was barely breathing and unconscious, very limp, he gently removed the fabric and peered into his pard's face. Other than being extremely pale, Jess looked like he was asleep. His breathing was raspy, though, and uneven in rhythm, blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth and Slim began to assume there were some internal injuries beyond the stomach wound. Slim flicked the yard goods open and covered Jess to keep him warm and looked back up the embankment for the first time, this time trying to figure out how he was going to get Jess unpinned from the wagon on his leg, and then back up there. Aware Jess couldn't hear him, Slim still leaned toward Jess' face and whispered, "Don't move, Jess. I'm going for help. Be right back."

Halfway back up his climb to the road Slim began to hear voices and yelled, "Down here, HELP!" and quickened his pace. Mose must have arrived with the stage. Finally pulling himself over the top but too exhausted to stand, he landed on the side of the road seated and panting for breath. He could see the stage and that the roadblock had been cleared, then Mose was approaching carrying Jess' gear, and a few moments later, followed by Daisy! Trying to gain his knees, half standing, he grabbed onto Mose who helped steady him as he remained kneeled facing them.

"Oh, thank God! You're here, Mose!"

"What in tarnation happened here? I saw all the dead bodies back there, horses standing around chewing up the grass, got here and found the roadblock, then Ms. Daisy drove up coming this way."

Daisy and two other men arrived at Mose's back, Daisy extremely concerned and worried.

"SLIM! What happened! Where's Jess?"

Slim got to his feet and waved them all quiet.

"We were headed back home when those 3 back there…" he pointed back down the road, "came after us. We were able to get clear but the mud messed up our curve and we lost traction and the pin came out. I was able to jump clear, but Jess went over the ….in the wagon and he's down there…" again pointing this time down the hill, "and he's hurt bad. I need help getting him back up here and to the doc.! Daisy, what are you doing out here?"

"The team came in all alone dragging the reins and all sweaty, so Mike and I hitched up the surrey, we threw in a couple ropes, and I came back out here. Mike's holding down the house and waiting for Mose's stage."

"Oh, Daisy! You're a god-send, I could kiss you!"

"Well," she said blushing, and waving at Slim's messy and dirty appearance, "maybe later."

One of the men from the stage standing next to Daisy spoke up,

"I'm a doctor, just finishing my residency in Denver, what can I do?"

He was young and looked more cowboy than a suit. Slim's mind went into management high gear and he began laying out orders.

"Mose, secure the stage and bring one pair of the team to the edge, we'll need them to pull us back up once we get Jess secured. Doc, you and me will go down and secure Jess to a big board as a litter and tie off with the ropes Daisy brought so Mose can use the horses to pull us up here. We'll put Jess in the buggy, Daisy, so you need to turn them around, we'll take Jess to the ranch. Did you bring any bandages? Doc you and Daisy can work on him there. Mr, what's your name?"

Slim asked the 3rd man. Daisy took off her apron and handed it to Slim.

"Will this do?"

"I'm Chester, Doc's little brother."

"Ok, Chester, would you help Mose with the stage and bringing the team?"

Slim clapped his hands together gesturing to scoot everyone into action and they all scattered to their assignments. Standing at the edge the Doc took off his coat handing it to Chester and asked Slim,

"How badly is he hurt and what kind of shape is he? An older man or young? Chester bring my bag, please."

"He's about 30, in tremendous shape, works for me and all muscle. Bleeding from a stomach and right shoulder gunshot wounds, which are under pressure and has part of the wagon pinning his right thigh down we'll have to get off of him. Possibly some internal injuries, I don't know, I'm not the doctor."

"What about his back?"

"Don't know, he's on his back laying partially on a huge flour sack, partly on some small boulders. I figure we'll have to splint him down before moving him."

Everyone was at work or the ready, so Slim took the ropes from Daisy and they proceeded down the hill.

CHAPTER: 3 Regrouping

Retrieving Jess from the edge of the ravine and the grip of the broken wagon and bringing him to the ranch was a slow and tedious process. The doctor believed that Jess' right thigh had a vertical twist fracture running from his knee up to his hip with some torn tendons and muscle and there were internal contusions on his flank and lower back. From the shred gashes found all over Jess, it appeared as though he'd been dancing with the spool of barbed wire as they tumbled over the edge. Jess had clusters of gash wounds of every size on his right thigh, hip and flank, lower abdomen and the left knee looked like it had been tucked in the end of the spool and those gashes were encircling the entire knee with the center punched in. The deeper gashes had to be stitched closed, but the ones around them were too shredded and would simply have to scab and regrow skin. Slim was extremely relieved the spool was brand new wire and not rusted or covered in dirt having been freshly washed in the morning rain. The bullets had gone through, both of them barely missing Jess' spine and both had splattered blood all over the back of Slim's shirt, somehow in the juggle of the wagon, missed entering Slim or were embedded in the wagon somewhere. It took both the doctor and Daisy the whole night to patch Jess back together. While they were working on Jess, Slim had showered and changed clothes, but was an exhausted mess unable to eat anything. All Daisy could get down him was some warmed milk under sworn secrecy to never divulge that to Jess. Mose took the stage and Chester on into town and the doctor camped out in the bunkhouse as a guest of Slim agreeing to stay a day or so until Jess was stable or had regained consciousness. It was early morning, the guest and Mike were sleeping in and they'd moved Jess' bed into the dining room where they could keep a watch on him. Mike had been transferred to a bunk in Slim and Jess' room and Daisy had her room in the other corner. Frayed yet holding her own, Daisy set the warm milk in front of Slim and sat at the table with him while keeping a side view on Jess. She'd fixed herself a bowl of cereal and planned on cleaning up and taking a nap once the guest doctor woke up.

"Thanks, Daisy. Remember, you promised to never tell Jess I drink milk."

"Oh, pashaw!" Daisy waved one hand at Slim, while pulling her top knot hair back off her forehead, then diving into her cereal. "I'm sure he drinks it too, when nobody's looking. You men!"

"I only got some information from the doctor. How bad is it, how's he doing?" Slim's face was overly drawn in exhaustion.

"It's bad enough, Slim. He's going to be hurting. Our first concern will be any signs of infection or continued internal bleeding."

"How do you tell about the bleeding?

"Well, blood will show up in his …um… there are ways. His overall skin color, we'll keep a watch on injury and non-injury sites for surfacing color. His leg, with a twist fracture, we'll have to keep him tied down. It's not easy monitoring those like you do a straight break. You said the wagon rolled, right?"

"Ya, from what I could see."

"Well, if his foot was caught and he rolled with the wagon all the way to the bottom, then he's got soft tissue tears that will have to heal. Those are not so easily seen either. Don't know how we'll convince him to stay put so he can heal. Maybe the pain will be enough."

"Oh, he'll stay in bed if I have to hog tie him in."

Slim put the half-drunk milk glass down and pulled out two small stacks of papers from his clean shirt pocket, rubbing his blood shot eyes. As Daisy ate, she watched closely becoming more fascinated. Slim unfolded the Bill of Sale carefully, flattening it and reading it closely…then shaking his head in wonderment. Then he unfolded the cash, counted and aligned them neatly.

"In heaven's name, Slim. What is all that!" Then suspiciously, "Where'd you get cash like that?"

"Not mine, Daisy. Belongs to Jess." He held them up showing her. Seeing her astonishment and face full of questions, he continued. "We got to town yesterday morning and Luke had just sold out of the fence materials we came for, but had another shipment due in within the hour. So Jess found out some hands from an outfit he did the last trail drive with were in town and went to the saloon to pay back drinks he owed them and got into a poker game with them."

"A poker game." She echoed starting to disbelieve this story.

"Ya, in about one hour's time, he won $4000 cash plus an IOU from the owner's son for a bull and 5 heifers of his choice from their stock, delivered here. All he has to do is go pick out the bull he wants before the 1st of the month when they take the next herd in."

"Is this the cattle he was raving about couple months ago?"

"Yep. Says he hasn't seen beef that good between here and Texas and wants to incorporate them into our herd and improve the line, get better prices."

"Have you seen these cows?"

Slim smiled lightly at her terminology. "Yes, I have. They are very impressive and disease resistant, too. A bull and 5 "cows," worth a whole lot of money in cash value. This ranch that owns these cattle are making quite a reputation out here. Be a huge improvement to our stock and could really turn this ranch into a money maker my Dad always dreamed of having. Don't know how long the stage line will last, probably not long. The railroad's getting closer each year. What now takes 20-25 days to get to the coast could be done in a week. That means people, freight and mail, and cattle. Something like that changes the whole face of business industry and financial security."

"Does it bother you? Jess' involvement that way?"

"You mean that my dad and I work for years and never quite pull off what he did in a one hour poker game? I've never held this much personal money at one time, either." Slim was frowning while fanning the cash in his fingers.

"That's exactly what I mean. Does it bother you?"

"Well, I'm stunned more than bothered, Daisy. First, how he managed to get into a hand of poker this large that could win all this, and second, he's made friends with a wealthy spread just from a trail drive, and third, all he could talk about coming out here was how he wanted to invest it in this ranch. Not take off and go back out on the drift, not start his own ranch, either of which he could do with this kind of investment. I've never met anyone who's such a friendly puppy with people. Just doesn't seem to know what the word "stranger" means."
"Jess has a fierce sense of loyalty, Slim. That's of more value than what you're holding there. So it's not just the cow..cattle, or the money, it's more so, the loyalty to you. Speaks highly of both you men." She looked coyly at Slim in a last lingering doubt, "Do you…um…"

"Spit it out Daisy. Now's your chance."

"Does Jess' play …you know, legal poker?"

"Jess plays poker so straight it hurts. Oh he knows all the tricks all right, but he knows them in order to catch people he's up against. Always plays straight and even smarter, knows when to bow out, too. And I've watched him close, I may be one of the few who can read his tells he's so slick. Played a few hands myself, ya know."

"What's a "tell"?"

"Well…." Slim had to think how to explain it, "It's what a person does, like a gesture that gives away what's going on in their mind. Like maybe a guy rubs his nose when he's got a good hand, or scratches his head if it's a bad one. They do it without thinking. But you have to know what to look for."

"Like a gunfighter reads when the other guy is about to draw?" She asked coyly.

"Ya." Slim smiled understanding her meaning.

"So what bothers you?"

"I just…..can't. He did all the shooting when we were being bushwhacked out there, Daisy. I was too busy driving. I found his handgun, one round fired. The rifle was at the bottom laying nearby him, it had two rounds missing. There were only 3 robbers and he got all 3 with one round each in a bouncing buckboard and took 2 rounds himself in the process. Wins a high stakes poker game where all he could talk about was buying stock and building this ranch. All he's got to do now is pick up these cattle by the 1st."

"Oh, he's not going anywhere by then, Slim, that's two weeks. You're going to have to go for him. He won't be up by then."

"You have a metal tin we can put this in, Daisy? What do you mean, won't be up?"

Daisy stood up and headed for her bedroom retrieving an empty button box and handing it to Slim. "Here will they fit in this? He might be walking with a crutch or cane by then, but riding's out of the question, Slim. His leg is broken, that's a minimum 6 weeks IF it were in a cast."

The tin was perfect and Slim filled it then tried stuffing it into the hole in the fireplace that beds Jess' gun fighting special, but the box's lid wouldn't close. Slim swiveled on his heel, waving the box up and down, "I know where to put this. Daisy, just for you to know, ok?"

"Yes, Slim?"

"I'm putting it next to my dad's dueling pistol in the attic. Jess will know where that's at. Ok?"

"Dueling pistol? Well, ok. If you say so." Daisy was finished with breakfast and took her plates to the sink. Coming back into the room, Slim was missing and then snuck up behind her startling her.

"You want to clean up and go on to bed, Daisy, go ahead. I'll be up a while yet."

"Are you sure, Slim? I am rather tired."

"You should be. Rescue at the site, then patching Jess up, feeding our guests. Go on to bed, Daisy. I've got this. Eastbound is due in about an hour anyway."

"Well, ok. Come get me if Jess even stirs."

"I will. Sleep well."

"Thank you, Slim."

CHAPTER 4: I Made It?

The lanky rancher couldn't quite put on the happy face to greet the eastbound stage and while Mike was on watch with Jess, he had changed the team in short order with very little spoken. The driver had read Slim's attitude and wisely kept to himself. Slim managed a half hearted wave goodbye and admonition to drive safe when he heard another set of hoof beats hurrying up behind him from the other side. Standing in a fog still in the middle of the yard, he turned in time to see Mort Corey change from riding up to the hitch post and over to where he was standing.

"Slim! How's Jess?" The sheriff's face was contorted in worry and he dismounted.

"Huh? Oh….he's not woke up yet." Slim mumbled, his face seemed frozen as though it was winter, but there just wasn't any happiness or joy to be found anywhere in his over 6' frame.

"Mose was telling me what happened. I think he's pretty much got the whole town a buzz. People asking me how Jess is doing. They all seem worried. Thought I'd come check, then go out and look over where you two got those buzzards. How badly is he injured?"

Slim was ashen his eyes puffy from the lack of sleep and he avoided Mort's gaze,

"He's gunna be hurtin' Daisy says. He took a round through the stomach and right shoulder, both of those just missing his spine when they exited. Doc said he has a twist fracture from his right knee up to his hip along with torn muscles and tendons. His left knee and up his right side was shredded with the barbed wire. Got a deep bruise in his back at his waist that's the deepest purple I've ever seen. Doc is concerned with all the swelling up his back putting pressure on his spine."

"Poor Jess. He sure knows how to get into things. I'm sorry to ….." Mort's voice was soft and sympathetic.

Anger at himself mixed with near tears of pain shot out of Slim's mouth before he could stop himself,

"It wasn't Jess doing, here, Mort! It was my driving! I lost control of the team going through the curve that muddy from the rain….he's fighting for his life in there and might not walk right again, because of ME!"

"Well, from what I hear, you two were running for your life, Slim. It's not that you were doing it for fun. I know you better. So does Jess. Heck, everybody knows that."

"Same as…" Slim mumbled looking back down at the dirt and kicking it with the toe of his boot. "Dag gummit, Mort. He used 3 rounds! Rattling around in that bouncing wagon, one from his handgun and two from the rifle. Dropped all three. The two he took were aimed at me. He was crawling over into the cargo box landed just behind me when he was hit. Those two rounds were mine. And then I drive him over the embankment."

"Easy, son….it's still not your fault. You both were trying to get away from the hellions."

"Do you know who they were, Mort? Any identification?"

"Ya, they had papers on them and they're lying in the funeral parlor while I've got wires out to the surrounding areas. Got one lead southwest of here, just waiting confirmation to come back in. Seems they may be a trio who've been robbing stagecoaches and banks from here all the way down into New Mexico. If they confirm, there's a $5000 reward out on them that you and Jess will receive."

"It's all Jess', Mort. I never got off one round." Slim was happy for Jess to get another big chunk of money, but this was not the way to do it. The weight of responsibility had just quadrupled on his shoulders and it was bending him over.

"Some of the ladies in town were working up a food chain. They're signing up for a day each to bring over some cooked food to help Daisy out since she'll be nursing Jess."

Slim blinked at Mort amazed at the good will,

"Daisy'll really appreciate that, Mort."

"Well, lot of people in and around here know all the things you and Jess, and now Daisy, do helping folks. They figure it's about time to give back some of that. You don't look like you've slept in weeks. How's Daisy holding up?"

"She just went to bed about 3 hours ago. Whole place is sleeping. We were up through the night. Took them about 12 hours to put Jess back together."

"Well, I won't keep you. Just want to go check out the scene. Mose said it was about 4 miles out."

"Yep, corner's pretty torn up, it'd be beyond it about a mile, near the rock outcrop."

"I'll be back soon, Slim. Try to get some sleep."

"Ya, what's that? See ya, Mort."

Slim turned and watched Mort ride away, his hands hanging off his back pockets, his frame slouched under the weight when something began tugging at his hand.

"SLIM! You better come. I think Jess is waking up." Mike was slightly winded and Slim almost fell over him darting into the house.

Jess was propped on his left side mostly, supported by pillows trying to keep him from laying on injured sites for pain as well as quick access to monitor the wounds for signs of bleeding or infection. Slim slid into the chair near Jess' head locked into watching his face for any sign of life. Jess' breathing was still pretty ragged and he was ashen gray, a good start of scruff growing on his face. Slim hadn't noticed before but under the scruff there were a few cleaned cuts on Jess' cheek from the wire and more on his hands and he frowned not remembering any gloves found on Jess under the wagon. It was a mystery. Jess groaned and curled slightly into his right side and his eyes briefly opened but they were not focused. The pain spasm seemed to move into Jess' back and he arched against it closing his eyes from the pain. In a few moments, Jess slowly relaxed with a light sigh and seconds later his eyes slowly opened. Slim could tell he was in a fog, somewhere miles away from Wyoming and not quite focused. He watched as Jess slowly flexed his left hand and then aimed for his face but his hand was trembling. He finally reached his forehead, then to his eyes trying to rub the fog away.

"Wher…?" it was a whisper.

"Right here, Jess."

Jess tried to swallow but he was parched dry, "Here where?"

He finally began to focus and his eyes made a small sweep in a circle around the direction he heard the voice. "Must be…. Still dream…"

"You're back home, Jess, in your bed. We're in the living room."

"Sl….?"

He was interrupted by a jab of pain in his right leg and tried to move his right hand to check it, but the arm was bandaged to his chest tying the shoulder down to prevent movement. The best he could manage was another curl into his right side.

"Don't try to move, Jess. You're all bandaged up." Slim gently coached in anguish.

Jess' eyes finally found Slim's face but they were full of pain and Slim frowned barely able to keep watching, "I … made it?"
"Yes, Jess. You're still here." Looking away Slim mumbled, "Thank God!"

Jess tried to look down his body, but between the tight bandages and the pain, he didn't make it, gasping and laying his head back down on the pillow. His left hand was laying limp next to his head and still trembling.

"Did…..all of me….make….?"

"Yes, you're all here. Doc said it'll be rough, but you should…"
"Legs….numb."

"Your right thigh is broken, don't try to move it and you have a lot of cuts and tears. Some injuries caused swelling near your spine, needs time to heal. Just try to relax and rest so you can heal up."

Jess closed his eyes and rubbed them lightly as though in thought. Slim was fighting tears both from relief and in empathy to the pain he could see Jess was in and probably hiding most of it.

"How long …. I been out?"

"Little over a day. Doc says you're gunna be in bed at least a week, so don't get any ideas, ok?"

"A week!" Jess' eyes re-opened searching again for Slim's face. "I can't…."
Slim quickly interrupted him, "Jess the way your leg broke, they can't really cast it, so you have to not move it. Even laying there in bed, you need to move, you're supposed to ask for help."

"Can't been in bed ….that long….." Jess reclosed his eyes and his voice trailed off.

"You want to walk again, Jess, you pay attention. Hear me? I'll hog tie you if I have to."

Jess had brought his trembling hand over his face covering his eyes and fingers pressing his temples. He could feel the cuts in his hand and drew it back until he could focus on it, surveyed the damage, flexed it lightly and all around receiving complaints from it being moved. Slim could see him next move to try the right hand bandaged to his chest and watched closely. Jess was barely able to move three of the finger tips slightly because the rest of the hand was also bound over gash wounds. Jess mumbled, "Oh, fine!" under his breath and closed his eyes. It was quiet for several moments and Slim thought Jess was drifting back asleep. Suddenly, Jess opened his eyes and jerked forward toward Slim then had to recoil from the ensuing pain spasm the sudden move caused. His face contorted in pain and he turned it away from Slim while bracing against the spasm.

"Easy, Jess. You ok?"

The pain gradually eased off and Jess matched it in relaxing, but he looked to Slim seeking in concern,

"You still got my paper and cash?"

"Yes, it's all tucked away in a very safe place. Don't worry about it."

"Worry? I got to get up and over there in two weeks. I can't lay here for a week."

"Well, we need to rethink this Jess. I'm not letting you up so help me, especially for no dumb cattle. Your life and health is worth more than building up our herd. 'Sides, we have some nice stock."

Jess made another attempt to sit up to debate Slim and got grabbed by an even stronger spasm. This one curled him left into the pillows and drove his face into the one his head was on trying to suffocate a scream of pain. It turned into a muffled sob and gasp for air. Slim had put a hand on Jess' right shoulder area to try to keep him down, but was too late.

"You can't be doin' that, Jess. 's what I said, lay still."

Jess raised out of the pillow enough to speak through the pain while holding his middle with both arms,

"I'm NOT giving up on this deal, Sl…! Never get another one…..like this."

Daisy and the Dr. came in the back kitchen door and noticing the commotion came over and leaned into the discussion.

"Slim!" Daisy's voice was a motherly warning.
"He just woke up, Daisy. Insisting on going through with the deal for the cattle."

"He's not supposed to be moving, folks. I'm serious. If I have to I'll find a way to splint that leg up to his nose and down to his toes, I will. Vertical fractures are just as serious as any other breaks. And the soft tissue damage will take longer than the bones. He's not going to be on a horse at least 2 months."

"TWO….!" Jess looked for the doctor's face.

"You don't know Jess, Doctor." Daisy admitted.

"No, and he doesn't know me!" The doctor firmly put his foot down. "I don't take on patients and then let them call the treatment. Who's got the medical diploma here?"

"Whose body is it?" Jess shot back. "You're not the only doctor around these parts, ya know." then softer, "Who are you anyway?"

"Easy, Jess," Slim put another hand out to simmer Jess down. "This man helped me get you out from under the wagon and up the ravine, then spent 12 hours putting you back together with Daisy's help."

"He did a beautiful job, too, Jess." Daisy chimed in. "I haven't seen work that nice even in the war."

"Let's just all take a breath, ok?" Slim coaxed. "I'll just go to town and wire the Double KBS and ask for an extension."

"You know, back east they've started something new that could work, too. It's called a "Power of Attorney" works like an affidavit where Jess could stipulate, say Slim, to go on his behalf, if necessary with a witness testifying to Slim's identity."

"Hey, that might work." Slim was encouraged.

"Who did you say you were?" Jess took a second look at the doctor. "Where are you practicing medicine?

"Well, I'm headed for Denver. Going to set up a hospital and an emergency triage with an emphasis on cowboy injuries and the like. Grew up on a spread in Montana, got my fill of seeing ranch injuries crippling fine-tuned athletes from horse and cattle accidents. Denver's a little more centralized and will be nearer the railroads who can transport patients, plus I'll need financial backing and there's a lot of old money in Denver."

"You think that'll work, Jess? I'll send the wire in the morning." Slim offered.

"Doubt it, but it's worth a try." Jess kept a wary eye on the doctor as if identifying a new, fully loaded rifle.

The doctor leaned over to check Jess' forehead for fever and Jess' eyes watched the hand come pulling his head back until he couldn't focus on it any closer. "You feel any heat or cold chills, leaking sensations, stronger than normal pain anywhere, Jess?"

"Legs are numb. Light headed." Jess was still eyeing this expert with answers.

"Well, I'm a little surprised you're awake this early but that's ok. You're young and more than in shape, which is good for you keeping yourself fit. The numbness is from the swelling in several injury sites near your spine. Once the swelling reduces the blood flow will pick up. I've already sent for some antibiotics and steroids from my contact in Denver, is due here on the stage in the morning. That will work on the swelling and reduce the risk of infection setting in. Daisy and I did a deep cleaning on all your wounds, trying to prevent infection, the antibiotics will continue that defense. The light headedness is from the lost blood and we need you to start drinking water as much as your stomach's wounds will process so your body can rebuild the blood supply. Am I going too fast, Jess?" The doctor asked with a mix of compassion and cowboy challenge, mostly challenge using medical terminology trying to establish who was boss and who the patient was.

"Um….no."

"There was no indication of a head trauma, which is a miracle for the tumble you took. But if you begin to get severe pains or headaches shooting through your head, tell someone immediately. Being brave here, carries absolutely no points. Sharp pains anywhere is your body grabbing your attention yelling for help. So pay attention and get that help. Same thing for your back and leg. You look like you took a dance with the barbed wire spool only she didn't like you. You have several deep gashes and quite a few patches of shredded skin. Daisy and I sewed up the gashes but they will be very painful because they were jagged. The patches will have to scab and regrow skin which will take time which means long term care on both types. Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"I remember getting shot and then finding my feet stuck under the fencing materials and I couldn't get them free. Slim was yelling something then I went flying with the buckboard. That's all."

"That would be a normal amount of memory. Ok, folks, let's let his body bring back the memory by itself, if it will. It should come, but until it does, the priority here is to keep his physical body on the mend and not tear anything open. Do you have any questions, Jess?"

"How long and anything permanent damage." Jess decided to play poker and raised.

"Oh, yes…sorry. I meant to cover that. IF, and I mean IF, you cooperate with instructions I've given Daisy, you're looking at a minimum 6-8 weeks. ANY disobedience will set that back even further. So far, I don't see anything permanent and will say this. You either have the luck of the Irish or somebody up there (pointing to heaven) likes you very much. You should have been killed or permanently crippled from what I saw at the bottom of that ravine. Even now, you take a wrong turn and tumble while you're healing and you could end up in that permanent zone. So just slow down, Jess. I used to cowboy all my growing up years on my dad's ranch, so I understand your indestructibility. Daisy helped me and did 3 times better than any of the brand new nurses I worked with back east, so listen to her. And if I were ever at the bottom of a ravine, I want this guy," grabbing Slim's shoulder, "digging me out. You've got good people here, Jess. There's nothing wrong with asking for an assist. Everyone knows you're not at 100%, they don't expect you to keep producing while you mend. Got it? Work with your head, not your body the next few months."

"Ya." Jess was resigned and exhausted, fading fast and didn't have a good enough hand to play so he folded.

"Daisy's got a special water jug set up, you need to drink several swallows every hour or so, as much as your stomach will handle."

Daisy offered a flat whiskey bottle cleaned and filled with water to Jess. He took it and putting his finger over the spout brought it to his lips and released a steady flow and was able to swallow several mouthfuls and handed it back to her.

"Sleep is your best friend right now. That way your body can concentrate on mending itself. When you're up and moving around, that only slows the healing down. So it depends on how fast you want to heal."

He turned to Slim and Daisy and Slim stood to face him. "I'll see the medicine arrives in the morning and then have to catch the next stage tomorrow to Denver. But you can contact me via wire if any happens. I'll try to schedule a trip through here in about a week or 10 days to check on the stitches. If you can keep him out of them, they need to stay at least 2 weeks. Some of those gashes were nasty deep. Also keep in mind the soft tissue tearing under the skin, in the muscles and tendons are not visible and if he pushes, he'll end up in deep cramps and those will tear him up inside. We don't want that. Do you get bananas out here?"

"No. Wish we did." Daisy admitted.

"I'll send some potassium pills out by mail along with anything else I can find I know will help. It's not easy healing people this remote from resources, but where there's a will, we'll find a way. Push the milk, straight if he'll drink it, or if not, put it in his meals. He need's the calcium. Stay away from alcohol. That will only agitate his system." The doc looked back at Jess who had drifted back to sleep. "I really like him. He's got brass, but he's smart."

"He's a handful, Dr." Slim admitted, "A real handful."

"I'd like to get to know him, though. I can tell he's a mover and shaker. Always, always, learn from those types. I wish I had someone like him at my side. Chester's really laid back and not much interested in medicine. Got a nurse finishing her degree in emergency medicine and rehab therapy will be joining me in Denver this fall. She's a go-getter…and I'm just likely to 'go get her' as soon as she arrives. We started a pretty good friendship back there in school together and I came out here to get things rolling."

"Sounds like there could be some little doctors in the future, huh? Daisy teased.

"If I play my cards right." The doctor coyly responded, "She's a catch."

"What are you anticipating it'll take to start up your medical business?" Slim asked.

"Well, hard to say. I've already got some of the old money pledged but I don't want to be caught up in an indebtedness ploy, so I'm only allowing that to be 25% of the whole. I've got some backers from philanthropists back east, so that's another 40%. I've got to look over some buildings when I get there to get a handle on the total cost, but I could still need $25-50,000 more, or a donated building with expansion land around it."

"What about the state or federal government. You checked into land grants or funds?
The doctor looked stunned and in amazement at Slim. "I never even thought of that, Slim. What an exceptional idea!"

"My uncle settled in that area after the war and got into the state government system. I'll wire him tomorrow, too, see if he has any connections in the land or funding departments who could be interested in a medical startup venture for Colorado like this. Be tremendous business opportunity for both Colorado and Wyoming to have a state of the art medical treatment facility, especially with the railroads coming this way. I might even scrape up some money for shares in something like that."

"That'd be purely marvelous, Slim! You think the Cattleman's Associations around here might take an interest, too?

"Probably so. I'll ask around. Say, Dr. Just bouncing this idea around. You think Jess might be able to make a trip in a large buggy within 2 weeks?"

The doctor pondered, tilting his head, "Oh…that's iffy, still a lot of bouncing in a buggy, Slim. I'd feel better if I came back out and splinted that leg at least partially immobile and if you could hang a sling to suspend it in. How far is it?"

"I'm not exactly sure of the miles. That ranch is between here and Denver, would be a long day by horseback, maybe two in a buggy."

"In two weeks, that would be a three day trip for him. I'm going to go on record, it's up to him obeying orders and resting. We'll have to see how fast he mends. You'll have to monitor him and report to me how quickly he responds to his body saying no to something. If he gets to hurting on the trip and won't pull over, then I'm not going to release a trip. On the other hand, he's in tremendously fit shape, so maybe he'll heal quicker than most."

"I've found incentive is a tremendous tool, especially with the "Jess-types" who have such drive to live. Needs to be channeled, maybe a tad bit of incentive dangled in front of him."

"Right again, Slim. Well, I've got to go pack. Twelve miles to Laramie. If the road's good, I could make that on horseback before dark. I need to get Chester packed up to leave tomorrow, too."

"You sure you can't stay for supper?" Daisy offered.

"Thanks, Daisy, but if I stay and eat one more meal, I'll gain another 3 pounds. I really need to catch up on my schedule. Slim, if you have an extra horse, I can leave him in the livery for you to pick up when you go in tomorrow."

"Works for me, let me go get one for you." Slim hurried off.

"Well, it was certainly a real pleasure working with you Doctor." Daisy was saddened to see him go, but understood. "I'm sure we'll be in touch." She offered reaching to kiss him on the cheek and he leaned over and graciously accepted it. "You ever want to go back into practice, Daisy, you come to me first. I'll always have an opening for you."

"Why, thank you, Doctor. We were sure lucky you were on that stage."

"I think that luck is going to be mutually beneficial, Daisy." He turned and left the house to go pack.

CHAPTER 5: No substitutions Allowed

Slim got back from sending the wires about noon the next day bringing with him the extra horse and a small box full of medical supplies and pills for Jess that came inbound from Denver for the doctor. Daisy was getting ready to redress Jess' bandages and had gathered the necessary supplies on the nearby table and was stewing whether or not to wake Jess who hadn't moved all night. Slim handed her the box and she sorted through it and several pages of instructions and had Slim's sandwich lunch set out on the table for when he got through putting the horses away. Jess moaned and slowly slid onto his side exposing his back more and settled back into what appeared to be a nice, calm sleep. Slim came in the door a little loudly and she waved him down.

"Shhhh! He's still sleeping."

"Mike in here?"

"Yes, he's doing school work in the bedroom. I have your lunch ready." She said pointing to the napkin covered plate.

"I ate a small brunch with the Doc and Chester before they loaded on the stage. I'll eat it shortly. He hasn't woke yet?"
"No, and he just turned over so I can reach his back wounds. If you're not going to eat, you want to help me?"
"Sure, what do I do?"

"Wash your hands….Scrub your hands really hard, then you can come help me remove the bandages and clean his wounds. The hot water for him is there on the table."

Slim stepped to the sink shoving his sleeves over his elbows and lathered well and rinsed. After drying them, he approached Jess' back and looked over Daisy who was slowly peeling off the cloth from the exit wounds on his back. Jess' shorts were pulled a little below his waist and Slim could see the blackest purple bruise near Jess' waist. The bruise was 5" wide and ran from hip to hip.

"Whatever do you think caused that bruise?" Daisy asked seeming to know that was what Slim was looking and making a face about.

"I dunno, Daisy. Near I can figure, the back of the bench must have busted him in the back as it went over. It'd be about that size. How's his temperature? Any fever?"

"No, I'm not finding any so far. These wounds are leaking, which is normal, but it's clear and not cloudy or bloody and no signs of redness or streaking. All very good. The swelling's not gone down, though, but's it's early. I've never seen a doctor take such lengths cleansing a wound before. He was such an artist, pure pleasure watching him work and the detail he went into."

"Doc's method of tying down pads over the wounds makes changing them easier than wrapping around him everywhere, doesn't it?" Slim asked, still cringing.

"Yes, he had some wonderful technical improvements which will really help with Jess."

Jess twitched and moaned as Daisy touched something tender and she whispered, "I'm sorry, Jess."

"See what I'm doing, Slim. I'll do the front and shoulder wound, but you'll need to do the wire gashes on his flank, hip and upper thigh. I can come back and help with his knee."
"Me? Do his flan…why me? You're the professional."

"I think Jess would be more comfortable knowing a man was taking care of that area of his body, Slim. You're best qualified and I can change the water while you're doing that. Watch closely so you know what to do. Here, hold this. I see a thread sticking to the wound."

She took Slim's hand and put it on the clean pad sitting above the stomach's exit wound while she gently bathed it with the warm wet cloth. Jess flinched and inched forward a few centimeters away from the touch, but remained in place sleeping.

"You can just touch his skin and feel the sensitivity. Like your skin feels when you're coming down with the flu. It's a hyper- anything like air movement, or cloth, or temperature, makes the skin sing. Saw it all the time in the war. There, that's better. Ok, put the pad in place and I'll tie it down."
Slim's face was contorted. He could feel in empathy from his own past wounds, plus the weight of being responsible for the accident that caused Jess' injuries was severely affecting his stomach's nerves. Because the doctor had established bandage pads tied by strips of cloth opening both in front and back, Daisy quickly finished with Jess' shoulder and they eased him back half way onto the left side of his back and she did his stomach wound. They all looked good. By then Slim was ghastly white and his own fingers were beginning to tremble afraid he'd bump something too hard.

"Ok, Slim, now you can pull his clothes away and do the wire gashes. Same way, just take your time, clean everything, check for temperature, red streaking, and color of any drainage."

"Are you sure, Daisy. I got huge fingers and don't want to hurt him." The normally confident ranch owner's voice was a mere cracking squeak not much more than a whisper.

"Oh, you're not going to hurt him, Slim. And big hands have nothing to do with it. Here."
She grabbed a fresh cleansing cloth and wet it, wringing it to the correct dampness, pulled Slim's hand out and plopped the cloth in it and left the room.

"Let me know when it's clear and I can come back in." She went to the stove to start another pot of hot water.

All the touching and cold air affected Jess and he moaned again and stirred almost awake. Slim stood frozen looking down at Jess then to his one hand holding the cloth and back, the other hand twitching nervously. Beyond the bandages and a loose pair of briefs on Jess, there was nothing but skin. They had dug into Slim's stash of new underwear to find a larger than Jess-size pair of boxers to accommodate the bandages for the gashes, but Slim still had to move those around to get to each individual pad. In various places and depths, these gashes and patches combined from various locations affected nearly 70% of Jess' right flank, hip, the hip side of his lower abdomen area where the torso joined the thigh and most of the top of his right thigh down to his knee. Slowly Slim moved the covers over to Jess' left side leaving him uncovered from the ribcage to his knees and not quite half way across his body keeping him covered as much as possible for warmth. Since Daisy had bandaged his right shoulder but had yet to re-tie it down, feeling the covers come off and someone messing around with his boxers fully woke Jess up and he grabbed the alien hand with his loose right hand. It wasn't a strong grab, he didn't have the strength, nor did he have the core strength yet to get his head much off the pillow. Both men's hands were trembling. Jess from weakness, Slim from pure terror facing the assignment of actually touching the most ghastly looking injuries he'd seen and in the most tender and sensitive parts of a man's body, worst yet that he was the cause of, all on someone whom he loved as a brother. With his normally tanned face now a ghastly gray and voice cracking and still barely above a whisper, Slim softly spoke,

"It's just um…. me, Jess. Daisy's a….. in the other room and asked me to change your bandages in this area."

Without looking over or opening his eyes, slowly Jess slipped his hand to a thumb to thumb hand grip and gave Slim's hand a slight squeeze. Also barely a whisper,

"Thanks, Ssl…..m." Jess waited and allowed Slim to withdraw his hand, but Slim didn't want to turn loose.

"So far, your other wounds are looking really clean, Jess. I'm sorry if this hurts. I'm just not very good at this…..never done it….before."

"Trust you, Pard." Jess whispered releasing Slim's hand, but Slim's eyes were very soggy.

"Do you remember the spool of wire?"

"Ya. Knee got stuck in the end and kept rolling over me, ripped my gloves off. Hate wire."

"Me, too. Had to put down a yearling colt when I was 12. He'd gotten wrapped in a fence during a blizzard one year was just shredded, have frozen, half bled to death. My dad made me … was my first colt I ever owned." Slim quickly wiped the escaping tear off onto his shoulder, "…part of ownership, he said, being responsible for another's life."

Jess opened his eyes and looked around just catching the shoulder swipe as Slim finally sat down and Jess frowned in empathy. Never occurred to him that Slim had any bad memories growing up in a dream life belonging to a wholesome family. Slim was having trouble controlling his angst and guilt and kept pausing. He'd seen the Doc and Daisy working on these gashes and raw, exposed patches of stripped skin but was now facing them one on one and were harder to treat than the ones Daisy breezed through. The bandages stuck to the raw skin and both men again sucked air as Slim gently tugged the first one free. Trying to help his male nurse's anxiety Jess bit down on the escaping verbal groan switching to just clearing his throat, but Slim knew better and his hands trembled harder.

"Stay put, Jess." He laid the wet cloth on top another stuck bandage.

"Not moving." Jess' face was contorted and his eyes were overly moist and he closed them using his left hand to wipe his eyes.

"Daisy?!"

"Yes, Slim, are you ready for me?" She called from the kitchen out of sight.

"No" he quickly replied. "These bandages are sticking. Is there some ointment we could use under these bandages?"
"Yes, Slim. You may have to soak them off for a few minutes. There are some long, silver tubes in that box the doctor sent back with you. You'll have to read the label and open them. Do you want my help?"

With his head on the pillow Jess was urgently shaking his head no with his eyes shut, and Slim smiled lightly,

"No, we got this."

He stood up and reached into the box pulling out a large medicinal tube that was a good 8" long, and sat back down reading the label. Raising his eyebrows at the simple instructions, he opened the tube, but not knowing where to lay down the small cap, he nudged Jess' elbow,

"Here, hold this." and stuffed it into Jess' bandaged right hand.

Jess felt it, then brought it to where he could see and identify the odd shape. Slim squeezed the tube out directly onto a stripped patch of raw flesh and Jess flinched hard and curled up sucking air in a shouted whisper,

"Ahssssstt! Dag gone it!"

Slim instantly froze, his eyes went wide open and he raised his hand holding the tube up in the air fearing the worst that he'd broken something open.

"Whad'I'do, Jess!?"

"Cold! ICE cold!"

"Sorry." Slim's voice was a real deep apologetic tone…and his oversight fed Slim's trepidation even further.

"'s ok…just wasn't …..'xpecting it." Jess whimpered softly trying to make less of what was really curling his toes in nerve overload because the flayed flesh exposed direct nerve contact and was enough to wobble knees had he been standing. Slowly he began to unwind from his curl.

"Ready?" Slim's hands were shaking even worse.

"Ya, go ahead." Jess braced and made a face anticipating another ice cube landing on exposed raw meat with no skin cover.

"Here it comes. Says it's got antibiotics in in, Jess, prevents infection. A white cream. Smells nice, not all perfumy. Supposed to put on a thin layer. How thin is thin?"

"How would I know?" Grumping with discomfort and sucking in more air through his teeth at the cold contact.

Slim raised his voice, "Daisy, how thin is thin?"
She hollered back. "Just enough to cover the wound so you can't see through it. Is it white?"
Slim responded, "Ya"

"Then just cover the wound until its white, then put the bandage pad back on it. If he can stand you touching it, try to gently rub it in lightly with the tip of your little finger, or let it soak in with warmth from his skin before you put the pad on. No scrimping, use lots of it."

"Ok."

"How many you have to do, Slim?" Jess asked.

"One, two….." Slim counted under his breath, "about 7, more or less. Some are single gashes pretty deep that are sewn closed, others are large patches with shredded skin that have to just scab themselves closed."

"No wonder." Jess leaned his head deeper into the pillow relaxing. This was going to take a few minutes. He then took another look at the cap and put the end to his nose to sniff it.

"No wonder what?"

"All the screaming."

"You want me to rub it in?"

"Only if I don't feel it." Jess admonished seriously, but he could see Slim's face all pinched in agony and it was getting shining with nervous sweat, so he added softly,

"You know, Pard, you're the only person on this earth I'd trust enough to even touch this area."

He was trying to be encouraging and compassionate but it only added more pressure to the tall ranch owner. Slim closed his eyes dropping his head into a bow and shaking it softly knowing Jess intended well by the comment, then rolled his lips tightly closed and kept working on that section of Jess' body still batting brimming tears off on his shoulder and it was quiet for several moments.

"How's it going men?" Daisy queried.

"Looking good, Daisy, just being gentle and thorough." Slim offered in a thin voice.

"Take your time."

"You send the wire this morning, Slim?" Jess thought maybe the distraction would help Slim by engaging the analytical side of his male nurse's brain.

"Ya, and I paid Larry to have a messenger deliver the response so we're not waiting."

"'at's a good idea. What did you say?"

"Said you'd been hurt in a buckboard accident, could your trip to select the cattle be delayed or could someone with Power of Attorney come in your place?" Jess' idea worked great and the reasoning side of Slim's mind took over…realizing Jess hadn't seen the damage yet and could benefit by a layout of the land.

"Here's a deep gash, you need to know this one and be careful with it. It's about 7" long, got lots of stitches and looks really deep and bruised. Starts on the thigh side of the valley, crosses it and heads out right here near where your holster hangs. Kinda looks like your hip stopped the plowed gash."

Slim gently tapped the location at the top of Jess' thigh drawing a circle around it where the gash started at the thigh crossed the valley making a left turn and headed off toward the hip right under where the holster belt sits and joins the gun pocket. Jess smiled to himself seeing his idea helped Slim and nodded then lightly sucking air from the tenderness with even such a light touch.

"That one's going to be pricking and prodding you for quite a while, even as a scar 'cause its deep."

"Good to know….was wondering why that spot was screaming louder than the others."

"It's just a good thing that spool wasn't a little more to your left." The analytical mind was in full gear.

"Why?"

"Well," Slim stopped and sat up from his microscopic pose and taking a deep breath looked Jess in the face, "Let's just say, fatherhood is still in your future."

Jess shot a ghastly look back at Slim who raised his eyebrows and tugged half his lips back toward his ear in a half grimace and went back to work.

"Or that the buckboard didn't roll counterclockwise." Slim's analysis concluded.

Jess tried to raise his head to look at the area then back at Slim because again all the other injured sites instantly corrected his notion about unauthorized movements and he gasped and laid his head back down frowning. Slim continued,

"Also the Doc said there's a vein right in this area and had it punctured that, you'da bled out in 30 seconds. Heck, it took me a good 5 minutes to get to you."

Unhappy at the news, Jess mumbled, "Ya, my lucky day."

"Ya know, numbness just might be your friend next few weeks from the look of these. Holster might be a tad uncomfortable for a while in this area, and tucking into your waistband won't work either. You ever worn a shoulder holster?"

"Tried one once. Has its advantages, but was really bulky and slow…daggum slow."

Slim finished, but he was still shaky and there was still no evidence he'd ever had a tan on his face. Looking and touching the damage was about all he could take and all concept of lunch had long since departed. He handed the tube to Jess to hold and Jess took it and screwed the cap back on.

"Ok, this part is done. Next is your left knee. Can Daisy help there?"

Slim tied down the bandage pads, pulled the clothing in place and replaced the covers. He moved to the left side, pulled the blankets back exposing Jess' wrapped left knee. Jess was quiet and contemplatively sad, being occasionally jabbed with pain spasms from all corners of his universe.

"Jess?" Slim queried softly.

"Huh?"

"Can Daisy help with the knee? She's more an expert than me."

Jess looked like he was about to say "no", but he resigned to, "I reckon. You have a real gentle touch, Slim. No wonder horses respond to you. Don't quit me, ok? I need you."

Slim paused a moment or two suddenly fighting welling tears meeting Jess' eye contact and the sincerity of his plea, then had to look away. He hadn't expected a compliment.

"Ok, Daisy, we're ready over here." Slim's voice quivered and he couldn't stop it.
Daisy bustled in and knowing Jess was awake, she proceeded with a cheery attitude. "So those wounds were cool and good color?"

"Looked just like the other ones, Daisy. Little more seepage, but clear fluid."

Slim stepped back to let Daisy in closer and she sat down and began unwrapping Jess' left knee gently. A horse arrived outside and Slim got to the door just as a kid knocked on it. It was Larry's 15 year old son, who jammed a piece of paper in Slim's hand and ran back to the horse, hollering over his shoulder. He jumped back aboard before the horse had even swallowed.

"Hi, Mr Sherman. Late for lunch. See ya!"

He was gone before Slim could open his mouth, so he looked at the envelope which was addressed to Jess and handed it to him. Daisy worked on Jess' knee while they talked and Jess flinched a lot more, the flesh around his knee quivering in raw nerves exposed to air and temperature change. The left knee's kneecap had broken, the ligaments inside torn from being wrung and twisted and it was covered in circular shreds and gashes from the spool of wire.

"It's addressed to you, Jess. Here."

"You read it." He was still holding the medicine tube but carefully like it was the most important assignment of the three and keeping a side gaze on it as though it was the most dreaded chunk of ice cold implement of torture.

Slim opened it and read out loud,

"Jess/Slim, sorry about accident. Regret cannot delay selection as final arrangements for drive is already underway and group of cattle offered will not genetically duplicate for 3 more years. Also POA and witness not acceptable for reasons I can explain in person only. Please advise ASAP, decision here must be made by 1st. Junior"

"Well, it looks like you were right, Jess. They didn't go for it. What's he mean "genetically duplicate"?"

"What I found out during the trail drive, this ranch is deep into controlled breeding for certain genetic characteristics and they do a certain kind of line breeding to keep those characteristics repeating. The owner, Mr. Wentworth, apparently keeps a detailed written pedigree of each group that he rotates yearly. Once every 3 to 4 years he consistently gets a strong repeat of those characteristics, picks out the next best bull worth keeping and between 5-10 heifers and sells them to only highly qualified, mostly rich, best friends he takes a shine to so they can start their own breeding program and he expands his characteristics to a broader range of cattle. Apparently, when the owner visited the drive for one day, I must have done something to impress him. During the poker game Junior told me his dad put me at the top of the list for this cut-out group, and he mentioned they might have another 5-10 heifers we could buy to cross with your bull. Any ones we get, we have to document to him so he can keep his pedigree data up to date. It's how he's made so much money and he's got quite a reputation for an elite cattleman's association that's working with him to improve the cattle business as a whole. Junior mentioned when his dad releases one of these pools, he requires the new owner to undergo his training session on the specifics of how they breed and the documentation that's required and how to figure out his branding system. It's why I figured they wouldn't go for a …. POA. I have to be there to get the training before he releases the cattle to me. Also, from the poker game, Junior said he wants to meet you, Slim. He's looking for additional pasture land to lease and he figures since you own the land, that we're partners, so he wants to get to know you, too."

"You didn't tell me that on the buckboard."

"Ya, well, you weren't really listening to me either. All I have to do is figure out how to get out of bed and get over there in two weeks."

Jess was caving due to fatigue, lack of food and water, now his dream plan all going downhill in a hurry. Daisy was ready to apply the ointment and reached over and took the medicine tube from his hand so quickly it caught Jess off guard and wide eyed, he tried to follow it with his hand to retrieve it, but she got away. Jess instantly sank into the bed and turned his face into the pillow preparing to smother a scream of pain in knowing anticipation of the next cold shock was about to assault his naked knee.

Slim kneeled down near Jess' head wanting to divert Jess' attention, but Jess' mind isn't as analytical and it failed.

"I've got another plan up my sleeve, Pard."

From within the pillow Jess moaned disheartedly and grimaced at the freezing ointment landing on his raw, nerve-exposed knee, "Ya." Then spoken sucking in air came, "WhAT!?"

He sucked in more air between his teeth and tried to hold still and be tough, but a tenor-toned scream of some unknown language escaped into the pillow as that much cold over landed over that large of raw skin territory. Within seconds the cold sensation of the ointment oozed onto the feeder threads of the main nerve drawing the cold down deep inside his left thigh along the femur bone and that sent electric bolts of pain spinning throughout his pelvic cavity fighting to get through the blockade of swelling at his tailbone from the big bruise in his lower back tangling up the nerve signals intended to go up his spine to tattle to his brain. It became an all-out train wreck of nerve pain between his left knee and his waist, hip to hip. Some indescribable sound of agony and definitely still not any English word escaped Jess' throat as the original cold impact turned into a second wave of seething heat deeper and higher in his body. Slim grimaced and fidgeted in empathy watching Jess laying on his left side and flip flopping in one spot like a freshly caught fish on the river bank and unconsciously Slim leaned over his own left hip with his left forearm in empathy trying to add a cut off support by telepathy and his right hand grabbed the blankets helping Jess' dignity remained covered. In a final act of desperation and all dignity forgotten, Jess' left hand grabbed the left femoral artery valley area and he pressed down then folded his body over his hip trying to use his weight to strangle every nerve on the left side of his body while he bent his face into the pillow gasping and moaning in a new, higher octave sobbing a smothered curse word.

Daisy's cheery face instantly changed to a matching grimace and she looked up compassionately and stopped working on the area giving Jess some time to reboot his circuitry.

"Oh, Jess! I'm so sorry! We'll take smaller sections next time we do this."

Slim frowned at Daisy as if she should have known better and she blushed deeply,

"I really thought it had warmed up some being held in his hand, Slim." She blurbed but Jess was vigorously shaking his head 'no' in the pillow.

Slim waited until Jess began to uncoil but it took some time before Jess' breathing began moving in and out in some sort of rhythmic pattern. Then trying to offer Jess some diversion to compose himself with, Slim gently put his hand on Jess' shoulder and offered,

"Had a chat with the doctor before he left and asked if you could ride in a big, comfy buggy by two weeks."

Like a cautious groundhog emerging from his hole, Jess' head slowly resurfaced up out of the pillow with hope barely flickering in his blue eyes.

"And?" It was a wimpy wheeze in disbelief that option was even considered.

"Now, be careful, Jess. It's not decided, but he said IF you obey orders, and IF you show some good progress, he'd consider coming out and putting a splint on your leg immobilizing it. I'd have to rig a sling on the buggy, and we'd have to drive slow, take time getting there, but it's possible you could get your 'road trip' anyway."

"You mean it, Slim!? Do you really mean it?"

This time, Slim's strategy worked and conscious thought of any pain began quickly dissipating and the happy kid on the buckboard started to resurface. But he tried to sit forward and grab a piece of Slim's shirt and a pain spasm hit his back again and made him look like he was bobbing in water and a shark was pulling him under. The movement jerked his knee out of Daisy's work re-attaching the padding and the blankets mostly out of Slim's hand.

"Slim! Hold still, Jess!" She couldn't help but smile at the sudden change in Jess.

"Lot of "if's" there, buddy. You think you can manage to not move that long?"

Spitting the remnants of the pillow from his mouth,

"Slim, I want this so bad." Jess' mind was racing again in excitement listing all his hopes,

"It's a dream…be able to bring something to the table here in a big way, help you make this place sit up on the map, put some meat on the table, take some of the load off you, more than just making pennies meet at the end of each month…and prove I can do more than just changing horse teams."

Jess' mind was instantly refocused in hopes and dreams.

"This stage line won't last forever with the railroads coming in."

He looked around wildly like he was going to jump from the bed forgetting his injuries and the bedding barely covering the necessities,

"Is there a nice buggy around here we can rent?"

The instant cool breeze caused by the move in bedding flapping his loose-fitting boxers caught his attention, though, and he quickly grabbed the covers just in time.

The moving around startled Daisy and she gasped and looked up panicky raising her hands to not bump the knee injury she was trying to wrap. As he continued with his idea Slim quickly grabbed Jess' stomach bandage tie to hold him still from physically rolling and nailed him back down on the bed half on his back half on his left side. Then at arm's length he leaned lengthwise over nearly all of Jess' body and face to face in case he moved again.

"I know of a couple. Maybe while we're out there we can pick out a new buckboard, too, but…"

Slim was lightly poking his index finger in Jess' chest as Jess surrendered limply and looked up at him sheepishly,

"….you've got to work with me here and do what you're told and no arguments, agreed? No arguments."

"Agreed!" Slim released him standing back up amused at Jess' transformation. "I could use a couple days off, anyway." Jess justified trying to recompose himself and while realigning his covers he cast a side glance at Daisy to see if she saw anything classified. Much to his relief she was engrossed in untying a knot in the bandage wrapping that held the padding down.

A knock on the door broke the excitement and Slim went to open it. Mort was standing there. "What's all the celebration?"

"Just trying to make plans and adjustments, Mort. Come on in."

Mort came to the table and put his hat back on his head. "Well look who's woke up."

"Have a seat, Mort." Slim offered a chair but Mort didn't take it, or remove his hat.

"I won't be long. Have a few more errands to run, just wanted to update you."

"What'd you find out?" Slim asked.

"Well I found the scene where they tried to rob you. It all checked out. Got back to town last evening and picked up the response in the wire identifying the 3 bandits as the same ones wanted in New Mexico and Utah for multiple bank, stage and personal robberies. Looked like they were moving their business east into Wyoming, too. Anyway, with the positive identification found on their persons, the reward put up by the Western Bank Association and the stage line out there, paid off." Mort reached into his pocket. Slim was smiling ear to ear, knowing what was coming. Jess was laying on the bed, his knee all finished, eyes half closed listening in fatigue, began to peer up at Mort who pulled a fat stack of bills from his vest pocket. "I picked this up at the bank this morning, freshly wired in. There were actually two different rewards offered in a combined amount of $7000 reward for the capture dead or alive. Seems like you put an end to a long, long streak of violent robberies west of here. So who wants this?"

Slim was pointing at Jess. Jess saw Mort look at Slim so Jess looked at Slim and saw Slim pointing at him. "He did the shooting, Mort. I just drove the wagon. It's his."

Jess pointed back at Slim, "If you hadn't been driving, Slim, I couldn't have been shooting. It's ours." Jess protested.

Mort was smiling, standing patiently playing impatient, waving the money. Slim reached past Jess and took the money and planted it firmly in Jess' left hand.

"It's yours, Jess. Anybody who can drop 3 targets with 3 bullets from the back of a bouncing wagon while getting shot himself, then be dumped overboard down a ravine, has more than earned this."

Jess resisted the money's placement trying to keep his hand tightly closed, but Slim nudged him firmly.

"No arguments, remember?"

"Bb…ut, Slim, you.." Slim's pressure finally pushed through Jess' resistance and the money went into Jess' hand.

"You're not starting this out too well. Do you want a road trip or no?"

Jess looked at the wad of cash like it was turning into a vermin, began fighting tears, "Dag nab it….more money." His voice was fully dejected.

Mort was smiling at their antics, readjusted his hat preparing to leave,

"Well, now that's settled, I've got to run. Don't spend that all in one place, Jess."

"Thanks, Mort. See you." Slim accompanied him to the door.

Daisy smiled at Jess who was just staring at the wad of cash in one hand.

"Slim give you any water yet, Jess?"

"Huh?"

She reached for the jug and pulled the cork out. "Water? You had any today?"

"No, Ma'am." Jess was in shock, still staring at the cash and fighting tears. "You ever held this much cash at one time, Daisy?" He offered it to her to hold but she pushed his hand away.

"Well, I held $2000 once but it was the life insurance pay off when my husband died. It disappears just as quickly. But I'm happy for you, Jess."

"I didn't want to kill them…..they were so young." Jess was staring down his nose at the wad.

"You were defending yourself and protecting Slim, Jess. They gave you no choice."

Jess mumbled thinking out loud to himself, "I wonder how much it would cost to buy into the Sherman-Harper Cattle Company?"

"The what?"

Slim returned smiling at Jess. "I guess now you can buy more cattle and 2 buckboards."

Jess was fading fast and Slim frowned seeing him fade. Jess weakly lifted his left hand giving the cash to Slim,

"Wanna hold it?"

"No. I'm good just seeing you have it."

"Put it with the other?"

"That I can do. It'll be in the attic in a tin can next to dad's old gun. Ok?" He took the cash and headed to the bedroom to put it away.

Jess looked at Daisy holding the water jug and reached for it. She handed it over and he took some sips and gave it back, then covered his eyes with his hand fighting more tears overwhelmed at the roller coaster ride of emotions. His hand was trembling again and she looked at him with a motherly gaze.

"Could you eat something, Jess. I have some pie."

Jess didn't move, but he quietly spoke,

"Maybe in an hour, ok? Pretty ragged….. right now."

"I understand. Just let me know. Try to get some rest, Jess. We'll get you well."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Slim had returned from his trip to the attic and was staring out the front room window trying to level out his emotions from dealing with Daisy and her insistence that he treat Jess' wounds, the memory of the colt not far off. Daisy saw him gazing into space and came up behind him putting her arm around his hips.

"You ok, Slim?"

"Why'd you make me do it?

"Do what?"

"Treat Jess's wounds?"

"Because you needed it."

"What do you mean?"

"You've been beating yourself up about causing Jess' injuries since it happened, right?"

Slim didn't respond.

"You need to counter balance that with being a part of his mending, Slim. Jess wasn't the only one who was injured in that accident."

Slim's eyes began to water understanding why she did it and had no argument back. It even made sense. He turned to her and gave her a big brother hug.

"Thank you, Daisy."
CHAPTER 6: Prep for ROAD TRIP

"What'd Josie have to say in her letter?"

Slim asked while they were working on the modifications to the surrey. Jess had just folded and tucked it into his shirt pocket after reading it for the umpteenth time after its arrival on the last stage. He was sitting sort of reclined in the wheelbarrow with his right leg on a board angled up into the air keeping it straight. Slim had used the wheel barrow to get him to the buggy for a fitting of a hammock for Jess' leg. The buggy had a convertible roof which was lowered and tied down. Jess couldn't put any weight on the right leg and only put the toe down to steady himself when standing. The left knee was too weak for walking anything more than a few steps with a crutch. So Jess' mobility was severely limited but he'd been obeying. They'd found some of Slim's older clothes that were too small anymore and had rolled up the hems and shirt sleeves for Jess. His legs wouldn't take the on-off tugging of boots, so he was in a pair of moccasin slippers they'd found in town. Jess had dropped at least 15 pounds from the trauma but with all the bandages his own clothes were too tight. The doctor was due to arrive on the morning stage.

"She writes the shortest letters. She's still in Canada exploring the mountains and having the time of her life. She sends her love and asked me to give you a kiss and hug." Jess grinned at Slim and Slim's eyes got big worried because he didn't want any smooches from a man.

"Consider yourself so duly gifted 'cause I ain't gunna." Jess waved his hand side to side at Slim like wafting a wand and Slim breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good thing you got her trust fund sent here. At least it keeps her in contact." Slim offered.

"'At's what I was after. She starts getting into places she shouldn't, the money's gunna dry up fast." Jess finally revealed.

"I'd have never thought you to be that manipulative, Jess. I'm shocked." Slim's eyebrows had gone up.

"Not manipulating. It's governing someone who admits someone else always made the financial decisions. Sure, it's good for her to learn to manage herself, but you just don't turn a child loose on a wild bronc and expect them to have a nice ride. I'm teaching her, not just handing it over. Money…..can be a trap, especially when you've never had to earn one cent of it." Jess offered without guilt. "She may have been educated, doesn't mean she's savvy." He was shaking his head.

Slim was happily satisfied. "Sounds smart. I'm impressed, Jess. So how many people do you know beside Junior and Chuck?"

"The owner, everyone calls "Boss," is Charles Wentworth, his oldest son, Junior is the foreman who was in charge of the drive. Boss is married to Lady Margaret, whom they call "Lady Wentworth." Didn't meet her, but Jr worships her. She stays home and does a lot of entertaining, supposed to be from the east coast, long line of blue bloods, but really down to earth. Jr's married to Elizabeth, or Bessy and they just had their first kid, a boy last year…don't know the name. Jr has a younger sister Diana and brother Jeremy who are back east in college, neither one married yet. I thought they had another daughter because Jr talked about someone called McKenzie, but found out from one of the hands she's Diana's best girlfriend from childhood, only child from another ranch Boss helped start up and she's back east in college, too, with Diana."

"Sounds like a nice sized family. How big a spread?"

"That I couldn't nail down other than it takes two days to drive through it and it's not squared off. They run between 40-60 hands depending on the number of trail drives, about 2-3 a year, and he has a sophist… well a complex branding system that changes each year, coordinates with his pedigree tracking. None of the hands cared to figure it out. They just get sent for some brand sequence and number of cattle, and he's always dead on with his count and where they're pastured. He has contracts for beef all over the place they deliver to on rotation through the year. Just Jr and him sort the new crop that's dropped as to which ones they keep or sell."

"Wow. Sounds huge. You ever meet Boss?"

"Ya, he came out to the drive and stayed 2 days. Didn't know he was there until the first evening during chow. Nice guy in his late 50s. Tall but robust, athletic, rides well. About as tall as you, maybe 35 pounds more, all chest- good one to have on your side in a fight. Happy guy, friendly. Jr's a lighter version looks just like his dad, said he had been out with the herd half the day and was leaving to go back to the ranch noon the next. Had just come out with a second chuck wagon and likes to ride out and work with the hands, knows them all by name and who's got family. They all swear by him. Not one bad mouth anywhere. All his hands are well mannered, clean, well outfitted and there wasn't a bad horse in the remuda."

"Ok, let's see how you fit up here. Don't move, let me pick you up."

"K."

Slim easily plucked Jess from the wheelbarrow because he had still not gained back any weight. Jess had to reposition one of Slim's hands off a bandaged spot, but they moved as a team. Slim got Jess to the side step in and Jess grabbed the bench and sideboard to get on when he suddenly pulled up, sucking in air, then raised his head balking at getting in. Slim thought he touched a sore spot and looked to Jess' face finding it drained white and no eye contact.

"Did I bump something?" There was no response. "Jess?" a frown crossed the big blond's face at not getting a reply. "Are you hurting?"

Jess looked away from Slim and off in the distance frowning and held up a finger putting Slim on hold. Slim backed a step maintaining a light contact to steady Jess and in a few moments, Jess dropped his finger and started again to enter. Again, in the same spot and the same way, Jess' head came up and he pulled out again.

"I can lift you in if that would help, you don't weigh anything." Slim offered. "Jess?" he began to see this wasn't physical, Jess had barely moved.

Still avoiding eye contact, Jess pointed to the rear of the surrey and his voice was soft, "Maybe if you lifted the roof." It was barely more than a whisper.

Slim frowned, trying to figure it out, then looking sideways to match what Jess was seeing, he realized Jess was dealing with a bad memory and it was freezing him. He quickly adjusted the roof over the seats and locked them down headed back to Jess' side.

"Ya, legs aren't ….get that high….yet." Jess was truly struggling.

They'd worked out a system of how Slim would pick Jess up and move him and Slim stood beside Jess who latched on and Slim easily planted Jess on the bench. Slim slid into the bench next to Jess to try the fit and placement of the leg sling, but it was a tight fit on the seat between the two. Jess immediately sucked in more air between his clinched teeth and leaned away from Slim, nearly to the point Slim thought he might fall overboard. He put a hand lightly on Jess' troubled right leg to stop any further recoiling bail out.

"Jess…..talk to me. What is it?"

"Not….happen…. Out. Now!" Jess started to paw and pull his way out the other side away from Slim but Slim captured him.

"This way, Jess. Grab on, I gotcha." Jess was looking over Slim's head and allowed Slim to remove him from the surrey and back to the wheelbarrow, where he clenched his arms around his midsection. "Ssorry….Slim."

"It's ok, Jess. Just talk to me. Did I hurt you?"

"No" was the soft non-committal response.

"Never seen you balk at a buggy ride, Je….."

Jess cut him off softly, looking past Slim over to the hillside, "Just….let me breathe …second."

They could hear the stage coming in, "There's the stage. Doc should be on it. Jess."

"Ya."

Not knowing what else to do, Slim picked up the end of the wheelbarrow and drove it over near where the stage was coming to a stop. Mose wasn't driving today, it was someone they didn't know. The stage barely stopped when the Doctor popped out the door and stood ready to start catching supplies.

As they started ejecting off the top, "Morning Slim, Jess. Made good time. How's the patient? I've got some great things with me, just wait."

"Hi, Doc. We're ready for you!" Slim responded happily.

"How you doing, Jess?"
"Good, Doc. Mind if I don't get up?" Jess offered his left hand for a shake and the Doc met him.

"Please, stay down. How you feeling?"

"Getting there."

"Is he obeying?" The Doc looked at Slim.

"Model patient in every sense, Doc. Couldn't ask for more. Even a little too careful."

"Well, there's never too much of that. I've got several things I'm excited to show you, shall we go in and take a look?" The Doc loaded Jess' lap with several odd looking contraptions and carried a large box himself and a small luggage satchel. As they went inside the Dr. offered,

"Clever wheels, who came up with that?" pointing at the wheelbarrow. No one answered.

Like a squirrel turning over a newly discovered nut, Jess was too busy inspecting what was in his lap very curious as to what they were.

"Hey!" Called the stage driver. "Do I get a fresh team myself?"

"Be right back out." Slim yelled over his shoulder. Dropping Jess in the living room without retrieving him from the wheelbarrow. "Don't start without me." Slim came back out and changed the team he already had standing ready and was back in the house in record time.

"Where's Ms. Cooper?" the doctor asked Jess while waiting.

"Her and Mike had to go to the church for some ladies meeting she couldn't get out of. She said she'd be back before you left." Jess reported.

He already had the largest object unbuckled apart and was fitting it over his right leg, but it was upside down and he ran into the slipper attached at the bottom and pulled it off. The Doctor gently but firmly pulled it and the smaller one away from Jess who, at first, made a face not wanting to give up new toys began to protest tugging at them, but being obedient on good behavior he released it reluctantly and tucked his left hand under the sling to control it.

"Ok, Doc, what's first?"
"Tell me how you're feeling, pains, aches, when were the bandages last changed."

"Daisy changes my diapers every day, says I'm doing really good. Got good scabs started, no drainage, and bruises going lighter. No weight on the right leg, just put the toe down when I'm not moving. It won't take any weight. Left knee is frozen in scabs and only takes a few steps before yelling, so it's short crutch distance and lots of sitting. Never got any fever. Pain's tolerable if I don't move. Which patch of gruesome you want to see first? Daisy said we'd wait today until you got here. OH! I think we need more of that white stuff in the tube, 'at's pretty good stuff."

"I brought plenty more. You think I need to see anything?"
"You're the doc, Doc. This is your game." The doctor wasn't sure if Jess was make jokes or being sarcastic.

"You'll do pretty much anything to go on this trip, won't you?"

"Daggum right. And I can do whatever you want to challenge me to do, too. I ain't afraid of no work."

"You're still underweight and a little pale. How's the eating?"

"Not pushing the capacity yet, Daisy's got me on snacks to even out the energy level. Have no reserve, when I get empty, that's it, crash. I'd rather crash than blow a cork and start all over."

"You feel light headed now?" Slim came through the door unseen and stood back to listen.

"Why do you ask that?

"You look a little pinched. Just curious."
"Ya, well I hit a wall out there few minutes ago, trying to climb into the buggy. But I'll get past that, too."

"First time in the buggy?" Slim was nodding in the background and the doctor noticed.

"Ya, why?"

"Perfectly normal for a person who's experienced a crash like you did to have a reaction revisiting the scene or one similar."
"It is?" Jess was truly relieved and managed a deep sigh of relief.

"Sure. The brain's a funny critter. Has its own way of doing things. You'll probably just need to reprogram it with good memories, to get it over the hump of the memory. Are you having nightmares?"

Slim started shaking his head no, but Jess looked down and nodded yes. Slim frowned.

"What kind?"
"Tumbling …. Or really rolling over and over in complete darkness with no control and being attacked by a ball of knives."

"Same dream or different each time?"
"Same. Learned if I wake myself up, I can stop the ball part. So what's wrong with me?"

"Sounds normal. I don't see any reason to worry. Once you get active again and start making new memories, the nightmares should fade. Until they do, stay relaxed and don't make them force you to move where you'll hurt yourself. Ready for me to show you some things?"

Jess perked up considerably, "Yep. What's those?" pointing at the contraptions.

"Well, I got to thinking. I can't put you in a cast for either leg because of the gashes, stitches and scabs of the patches. They'd rub and itch you to death and need air. But you can't put weight on the right for another 6 weeks and can't do the second surgery on the left knee until after you get back. So I drew out this removable brace type thing and had a blacksmith make them for me after I got measurements from Daisy. The straps are designed to fit in spots not injured and lock the knee down and only allow a limited range of movement at the hip. This way you can crutch and not have to hold the leg up, there's a toe piece that is padded and has a spring under it, to handle contact with the ground. The smaller one is the same type just fit to the knee only to support the knee for the weight you do need to put on it in swinging through the crutch cycle. You're smaller than me, so I couldn't try it on. You want to see how it works?"

"Ya! C'mon!"

"Slim can you get him on a chair, it will need to fit at that angle, not buried butt deep in a wheel barrow. The unit is not supposed to touch any injury site, so adjust it to fit."

"Sure!"

Slim jumped over and in their practiced teamwork, Slim lifted Jess to a nearby chair. The doctor began fitting it to Jess' leg and then slowly tightening down the straps by buckles. He had plenty of hands helping him. The longer brace attached a little below Jess' waist much like a pair of chaps except this one only had one leg and attached by a buckle like a holster. It immediately had a stiff 4" section dropping down to the hip then cut away to wrap only part way around the leg fitting up just below the crotch and was formed at an angle slightly bringing the right leg forward at the bend of the top of the leg where the next buckle tied down. The next section was two stiff flat pieces of cloth covered board slats that were 3 inches wide running down each side of the leg and just long enough to reach the top of Jess' knee where the next buckle was. Attached to the other side of this buckle was a tube of the cloth wrapped board that was to fit the knee in a 45 degree bend to another strap just below the knee. Attached below this buckle was 3 running slats positioned evenly around the calf that buckled to the ankle followed by an attached black leather slipper with a toe patch. Inside the toe patch was a hidden spring system that worked as a shock absorber. The unit was strong but light weight and formed to keep the leg in a bent position 45 degrees at the knee and 35 degrees at the hip, enough to sit in, and would hold the leg forward at the hip when standing. The left knee brace was a duplicate but just shorter doing the knee joint section and it was straight and not bent, but it had latches on both sides of the knee that could release allowing the joint to bend at the most to a 30 degree angle for sitting. Both were black in color.

"When you stand up, we need to pull these straps as tight as you can stand it because the brace needs to take the weight with no effort by your own muscles to hold the leg. So you say when."

He got both braces in place before letting Jess stand. Some of the bands and buckles had to be inched into place by Jess feeling where they hit on his sore places, and he tugged them to the tension he could tolerate.

"How's that look, Doc?"

"That's pretty darn close to what I had drawn. You have about an inch play up or down to adjust around your gash wounds so they don't rub on each other. Don't walk yet." He reached for a new pair of machine made crutches and handed them to Jess. "Ok, now, stand by to launch, slowly."

Slim took an elbow and the Doc took the other one and pulled Jess up slowly. Steadily Jess got to his feet and settled into the braces and leaned on the crutches. He smiled in relief at the Doc then at Slim. "That's pretty dad gum fancy, Doc! You dream this up yourself?"
"Well my girlfriend back east specializes in rehab, we've been working on this concept for a few months, but never had a patient to try it on for size. So you're our guinea pig on a prototype."

"So eventually will I be able to put weight on the right?"
"Actually, yes, but don't push the leg. If it still screams with any weight, or twist, don't. As the fracture heals, you'll be able to tell, internally within the leg it will feel like its holding true and not giving way like bristles on a broom. The brace will be used for the full 8 weeks, then gradually, and I mean gradually weaned off as we start weight-bearing exercise on the muscles. The same on the left knee only in a smaller proportion. As the swelling goes down, and the scabs heal, you should be able to pull the straps even tighter. There should be no give on those straps, should be a tight as a cinch, got it? It's your saddle for the next 2 months. And as you work with it, you see any structural improvements, I want to know. We can keep improving this model. When you're off your feet for the day, and when you sleep, you can take them off and let the leg and skin breathe."

"Hey, Slim. Look! Pretty impressive." Jess was smiling from ear to ear.

"I can see, Jess."

"You need to help him get cinched down tight, Slim. There are angles he won't have enough pull yet, so you need to make sure his saddle's on right and tight before you let loose. Fit's outside your clothes, let the clothes protect you. It's why they're black, call less attention to them. Now, let's try to do the crutch action. You been on crutches before?"

"Not fancy ones like these."

"You lean on your hands, which means up front, your wrists will become sore. Don't use the armpit, your right shoulder isn't strong enough and the uneven pull will stress your back and stomach injuries. The crutches always lead, then the legs follow. And for Pete's sake, take small steps, take only one stair at a time, this is not a race. The goal is to arrive, not be first."

Jess took some cautious steps and immediately felt the weight distribution and new complaints from his body and pulled up. "Ya, ok, I feel it."

"It's like learning to walk all over in a different sequence, but the more you do, the better your rhythm will be. Just ease into mobility. You're going to be living with pain, Jess, for several months to come. Just be aware of that and don't push your body to where your mind remembers functioning. You're on a field trip, this isn't forever, unless you do push and then end up tumbling down and re-breaking everything."

"How long before I ride again?" Jess asked in all sincerity.

"It all depends on you taking a slow and steady approach rebuilding yourself. If you do it all correct this first time through, I'd expect at least 2 months and then it won't be pain free. You have to rebuild strength and endurance, too. It's a process, not a onetime event. I think the one thing I hear over and over from people with this type of injury and rehab, is that it taught them patience and to go easy on themselves and other people. The walking and riding will come, just work with your body, don't force it."

"Just as long as I know what I'm facing, Doc, I can work with anything. This is going to be a huge help."

The doctor stood directly in front of Jess and lightly popped him on the chest with the back of his fingertips gaining eye contact with Jess.

"Here's your key, Jess. When your body sends pain its saying "no, this is enough." Listen to it and change your plans according to it. When you're riding in the buggy and things start screaming, that's it for the day, stop, pull over and rest. What you're going through is not a life time change, it's only an inconvenience for several months. It's going to take longer for you to do anything at all."

"But at least I'm getting there."

"Exactly. Start earlier than planned, expect it to take you longer, even going to the latrine."

"Let's look at the shoulder and your back wounds and I want to see the left knee for how long it will hold before surgery."

Slim helped Jess sit back down and remove his shirt and the doctor removed the bandaging and checked the mobility of the shoulder. Jess was flinching and smothering gasps of pain, especially in a rotation of the shoulder.

"The wound sites actually look very good. Any numbness down your arm?"
"Yes, comes and goes, mostly from the wrist to fingertips. Sometimes get shooting pain inside the shoulder. Don't feel much on the back wounds, just feels like boulders there if I try to lay on my back."

"There's still a lot of internal soft tissue injury that needs to re-route and mend. Soft tissue always takes the longest to mend and the swelling puts pressure on the nerves which causes the numbness. Being able to move these areas is positive indications the nerves are still connected, so patience is again in play, and immovability. I'd like to keep the sling in play during any activity, if nothing else it will cause you to hesitate trying to move the arm as though it were normal. It needs rest. If you get tingling or numbness down your legs or shooting pain, pull up and rest. I'd like you to keep as much gravity and pressure off your spine as possible to allow as much blood flow to continue during the swelling. I'm going to leave these stitches in everywhere until you've returned from the trip just as added protection to the injury sites with all the movement you'll be experiencing. They will no doubt start to itch, along with the scabs. Keep the ointment going, it will help. Can we get the pant leg down to get to the knee?"

Jess reluctantly uncinched the left brace then the right leg brace in order to get to the zipper, and dropped the left pant leg down while Slim helped pull the shirt back up and in compensating cover. The Doc gently unwrapped the knee with a look of compassion to its battered condition he gently touched and pressed on various spots meeting with a reflex flinch by Jess. He was done quickly and deftly rewrapped the knee and had Jess pulling his britches up in a matter of minutes much to Jess' relief. "Daggone, you're fast, Doc."

"Not my first rodeo, Jess. Not feeling any heat, nice healthy skin around, good scabs started. Unless you start getting ooze drainage, lets not change these bandages just every other day or two, when soiled or sweaty. These scabs are making remarkable progress, will begin taking bandages off overnight to let them air and harden once your back…bout when we take the stitches out. I'm impressed, but then you're fit to start with, should be no less. Send me a wire when you get back and bring me up to date and I'll set up a time to come back and do the left knee and remove the stitches several days after you're back home. Just, be wise, that's all I ask."

"You're a remarkable doctor and I appreciate everything you've done to help me." Jess offered with new respect for the man.

"You are pretty amazing too, Jess. Not at all what I thought I'd be up against."
"Just a matter of learning who the opposition is and picking your fights. In this case it's the injury that's the target, not each other. What can I pay you to get a start on this bill?"

"How true. We'll settle up after you finish being my guinea pig on the apparatus. Did Daisy have any questions or need anything? I really should get back and see if I can catch an earlier stage back to Denver."
"She didn't mention anything, other than ointment, but I'm sure she'll be sorry to have missed you." Slim replied.

"Well, that's two of us. She's a pip! You two are lucky."

"Ya, we know." Jess admitted.

"Let me get a horse for you, Doc. This way." He led the way out the back kitchen door and Jess sat back down exploring his new saddles.

CHAPTER 7; ROAD TRIP Arrival at the DKBS

Jess and Slim arrived just after lunch on the 30th of the month, as expected and only an hour late. They'd left 2 days early and had to make multiple stops for a break so Jess could change position, walk around the surrey, or lay down on the ground and flatten everything out to stop the screaming. Slim was on Alamo as a chase option should they break down or need help according to Jess, but Slim figured more truthfully that Jess was dealing with memory of Slim's driving and not quite ready to accept the lack of control over the buggy. It was fine with Slim, he wasn't in any hurry to be responsible for Jess' transport, or anyone else, for that matter. They had wired ahead their anticipated arrival and what kind of financial arrangements the Double KBS required, with agreement they could bank wire the money once the deal was finalized and delivery was finished. That way they didn't need to carry a lot of cash or be a sitting duck as a slow moving buggy. And they stopped every night at a hotel and slept in adjoining rooms on real beds making a true, almost luxury business trip of it. Slim could read Jess' face and tell when he was in what level of pain and fatigue and handled the nursing duties and physical assistance in support of the braces and crutches. Jess was getting better each day with his coordination and equipment, his biggest problem was the lack of endurance, energy and pain levels. Slim figured this was Jess' big trip and he was there to assist Jess wherever needed and happy to do so. Around the stress of a body not in full capacity, Jess was both excited and anxious about new business territory and was depending on Slim's experience to help him. They both knew that Jess' condition was fragile and he could cave any time, the trip was pushing his recovery back. They'd made arrangements for someone to stay at the house with Daisy and Mike and work the stage business for a week's period, so not to rush Jess. Slim was constantly keeping an eye on Jess and Jess seemed to seek Slim at his back at all times, but yet eager to learn this new aspect of cattle business.

About a mile out they could see the sprawling ranch house compound and Jess pulled the team up for a look and Slim stopped beside him. The campus took up a good block size chunk of land with a big, one story main house that went on forever, a very large two story bunkhouse, 3 huge two story barns and at least 6 pole arenas, one very large water tower and a windmill painted yellow to look like a daisy. From the distance you could see the lush green landscape, flowers of all colors and a tree lined drive up to the house. Everything outside the campus was very lush pasture fenced in by white painted wood 3 planks tall. The entry was marked by a log framed gate and arch with the Double KBarS name. Jess' eyes were huge like a kid in a gigantic candy store and Slim wasn't far behind.

Jess was breathless, "Dad gum, Slim. It's a whole city."

Slim was leaning on his saddle horn, "It's big alright. Biggest I've ever seen. You want to change your mind, now's the time."

"Nope, I'm in it this far, we'll play the hand. Reckon I can at least educate myself on the cattle business and see if this is the right door for me. The last 4 years with you must mean something in my life. Let's get this deal settled and get home fast."

"How you holding up?" Slim could see the pinched face and shadows under Jess' eyes.

"Just wonderful," Jess lied, "Maybe we can greet and then get to bed early."

"If Lady Wentworth is from old money back east, you can count on an all out fancy dinner. Why I made you pack the suit."

"Well, nothing else, the brace can help hold up my pants. Let's go." Jess flapped the reins lightly and the surrey launched forward.

Arriving at the house side by side, they were met by Chuck and Junior who came out the door as though they'd been watching from the front door. Lady W. was a step or two behind them and dressed very classically. Chuck and Jr were in corduroy jackets, jeans and cowboy hats with shiny boots on their feet. Chuck split the largest grin ear to ear and slapped Jr on the back as they pulled to a stop.

"See, Jr., I told you Jess was a true cattleman! No injury in the world will stop one from a deal." He strode off the porch and reached to tie off the buggy horse's tie line, then quickly tipped his hat to Slim and reached for Jess' hand for a handshake. At the last moment he saw the right arm in a sling and Jess trying to get free of the leg sling on the buggy. Slim dismounted and from the side, with sleight of hand reached into the buggy and released the sling catching Jess' leg as gravity pulled it down, easing his leg to the floorboard.

"You must be Slim Sherman, I'm Charles Wentworth."

Chuck diverted reaching to shake Slim's hand and was met with a friendly but firmly matched grip.

"That's right, Sir. Glad to meet you."

Slim noticed from the edge of his sight Lady W inching her way closer and was impressed with the quality of the lady he saw, but noticed her reserve. Chuck was fumbling, not sure what to do in greeting Jess, who was staying seated in the buggy offering no move to dismount concerned if he could even stand. Jess offered his left hand in a shake and Chuck quickly met it and matched the strength Jess offered.

"Mr. Wentworth. Good to see you again. Thank you for inviting us." He nodded to Jr., "Hello again, Jr. nice home."

"You're just over in Laramie. How long a ride did you have?" Chuck asked with new and sudden concern over Jess' condition giving him a strong, good look over taking a deeper assessment of his invited guest. His eyes were excited like he had a huge secret surprise lined up.

"Couple days. Slim and I decided to make a trip of it, see the sights. Not often I can get him pulled off the ranch for a break."

"It's a day's ride by horse, but the roads take longer." Slim added.

Lady W had arrived standing behind her husband smiling at two men she instantly liked. She was slightly shorter than Jess, slender with an equal mix of gray and blond hair all neatly coiffured on top her head and dressed in a fitted plain fabric dress but one that had detailed seaming that highlighted her dainty frame. There wasn't a wrinkle on either of their faces. Both Slim and Jess nodded her way and Chuck turned to introduce her like she was royalty,

"Men, this is my lovely wife, Margaret, I believe you know my son and foreman, Junior."

Slim and Jess then took off their hats and acknowledged her in an unpracticed duet, "Ma'am."

"Here let's get you down from there and into the house where you can relax. My wife has some refreshments ready and we'll get you settled inside. We have two adjoining rooms in the south wing we plan on offering, if you'll accept our hospitality for as long as you want to stay. The drive takes off day after tomorrow, and it'll quiet down around here for several weeks."

Slim quietly reached over and grabbed Jess above the brace's waist belt and helped him step down in a very dignified landing, and while Jess held onto the buggy and adjusted clothing and the brace, Slim reached in the back and brought the crutches forward handing them to Jess. Slim was wearing his holster and Jess had switched to a very nice leather shoulder dress holster Slim bought for him before they left. Jess had actually tried to mount the hip gun pocket to the brace, but with a gun in it contained too much weight and his whole hip area vetoed that idea. He had decided the shoulder holster actually felt good as it supported his injured shoulder with a counterbalance of weight on the left. Even though he couldn't grab it left handed, Jess wasn't dressed in public without a gun and he could reach it easily with the right hand in the sling. Jr voluntarily dug into the back of the buggy and grabbed their two pieces of luggage and a decorated gift box that was tall and thin. Slim reached for the luggage but Jr pulled them out of range so he reached for the gift and offered it to Lady W.

"Jess pretty much has his hands full, but he wanted to bring this for you."

Lady W. brightened at the courtesy and opened the gift. It was a bottle of wine.

"Oh, this is a lovely one, and a good year, too. It will go perfectly with supper. Thank you, gentlemen. Shall we go in?"

Jess and Slim started to go up the walk and suddenly noticed a wrangler taking their buggy and Alamo off. Jr softly spoke,

"Hey Dad, you see this bay?

"Ya, I did, Son. He's a beaut."

Jr added softly to Slim who was looking back and forth,

"Larry's got a special spot fixed up for your horses and he'll grain and freshen them up."

Slim was a bit flustered, "Wow. Thank you."

The house was a large one story sprawling log building with a tall center of thick beams held up by a polished tree trunk with indoor blooming plants in pots around its base. The interior of the house was decked out and plush with matching, softly tufted furniture in rustic log wood frames and antler-made overhead and table top lanterns complete with wagon wheel occasional tables. A huge rock covered fireplace was the center of attention and on the far wall from the entry was an entire wall of framed glass 2 stories tall with an awesome view of a mountain range with a large lake in front of it about 50 miles away. Jr led the procession opening the door for everyone, Lady W was first followed by Chuck, then Jess and Slim. Once the people in front cleared way and Jess looked up from his calculated crutching, he gazed around the lodge style living room glancing quickly at the fireplace only then drawn to the view out the window and he froze in place, his jaw hanging open slightly. Slim was watching Jess from behind, but couldn't help gazing around the room as he entered and he nearly ran over Jess frozen in front of him. Slim's jaw was gaping open just as much as Jess' and both were barely breathing. The ceiling was very tall and while bright inside, it was cool and they could hear the sound of an indoor fountain gurgling somewhere out of sight. Jr disappeared with the luggage while Chuck and Lady W looked at Slim and Jess then at each other and smiled waiting for the effect to wear off. The only thing that stirred Slim was Jess standing in front of him barely hanging onto the crutches in awe of what filled his eyes and he'd begun leaning back into Slim beginning to lose balance being distracted by the beauty and peaceful quietness of the house. The looking up trying to figure out how they built the high dome out of angled logs with a tree in the middle was causing Jess to tip over backward. Slim whispered in Jess' ear trying to get through the fog and putting his hands on Jess' shoulders to steady him, but it was Lady W's soft voice that broke the silence.

"Poppa, I'm going to just put this wine in a cool spot and chill it down for supper. We need to get this young man set down, he's exhausted and in no shape to be standing."

"You're so right, Momma. I'll take care of them. You men like a beverage to wash the road down some? Anything you want."

Slim seemed to be the only one able to talk, "I'm fine, thank you. Maybe later. Jess you need to keep the liquids going. What do you want?"

Jess didn't move so Slim gave him ever so slight a shake. "Jess?"

Slim slipped his hat off, re-grabbed Jess' shoulder and then pulled Jess' hat off, stacking them together. He saw a hat rack by the door they'd barely cleared and hooked them on it. Per usual, Jess' hair didn't move out of place and both men had fresh haircuts but a one day old growth of scruff.

His voice was deep but soft, "If I lived in a house like this…I would never leave."

Jess was mesmerized still gazing and staring at the ceiling, the glass wall and all the logs. He'd never seen a house this large or well-appointed let alone a log home in a lodge layout.

"Well, it wasn't always this way, men. Taken me nigh on 40 years to build all of this and what we'll be showing you in the next few days. Please! Make yourself at home. Let's grab some sit over here."

He pointed and began walking to the chairs and sofa by the fireplace. Jess was still gazing not ready to stop analyzing the log construction, nearly stumbled forgetting he was using crutches, but Slim was finally able to drag his attention back to crutching and following.

"You men don't get out much I gather. Can always tell by the reactions we get when people come inside."

"It's a gorgeous home, Mr. Wentworth. You've got every reason to be proud of it. No, we don't get away too much, ranch and stage schedule keeps us tied down."

Slim offered. Jess was busy aiming his bum and trying to sit in the most workable chair, un-hinging his left knee brace so that at least one leg would fold into a seated bend.

"If I get down, I may not be able to escape, Slim." He mumbled to Slim.

"I'll get you back up, Jess. Just relax." Slim whispered back.

"First rule of the house, men. When you're my guest in my house, it's Chuck or Charles. Mr. Wentworth was my daddy and there's not another like him. Momma makes a mean lemonade, or I have whiskey, beer and the other good stuff."

"Doc's got me on a strict diet, Sir. Lemonade or just water's fine, thank you."

Lady W was already returning with a tray of beverages, two lemonades, a whisky shot for Chuck and a glass of water and she served everyone then sat down herself taking the one left behind.

"You're a little more laid up than we anticipated, son, so tell me about your accident. That way I can estimate how much we can get done on this trip. How long can you stay? You said this happened about 2 weeks ago."

"It was my…." Slim started to admit his fault at the accident and Jess interrupted gently.

"About 3 weeks ago we were headed home with some fence supplies from town and 3 um… kids really, tried to rob us at gunpoint. It had rained hard that morning and the roads were muddy and slick. Horses grabbed their bits and hit a curve too fast, the pin kicked out sending the buckboard over the embankment. Slim was able to jump off onto the horses and made it, but I was in the back and got tangled in the fencing and went over in the wagon. If it hadn't been for Slim shimmying down the embankment to rescue me, I wouldn't be here today."

"Sounds like a good man to have at your back." Lady W offered.

"Yes Ma'am, Slim's pulled me out of more jams than I'm embarrassed to admit."

"Ya, well, that's a two way street. Jess took out those 3 bush whackers with 3 rounds and the two he took were headed for me. So we kinda keep each other in a good supply of marmalade." Slim smiled and Chuck laughed.

"That's pretty good shooting in anybody's books. I heard you have a reputation with a gun, Jess. Is that true?"

Chuck asked from a hidden purpose checking out his targeted new project. His tone was friendly and open as was his face, but there was purpose and real question in his tone and it alerted both Slim and Jess. Slim slyly wiggled a caution finger to Jess, who saw it from the corner of his eye, but Jess had already read it. Both sides were easing into reading each other but in a friendly way. Jess knew he was facing a "fold or raise" poker ploy reading Chuck as friendly, but the question was a real concern to some decision on the table. This man played for real, and he didn't waste time which was refreshing to Jess, especially being so tired and hurting, games and dancing around issues would have quickly peeved him into the wrong attitude. It wasn't Jess' first poker game, or meeting with significant humans welding power and he was ready.

In a quiet, inner peace and a strong dash of sadness and past pain Jess looked down briefly, then at Lady W with a soft face, then directly back at Chuck unfazed by the directness allowed a calculated measure of silence then answered.

"It's a tool, no better or worse than the one using it. Not something I sought but circumstances in my earlier years forced some things from a survival standpoint. Not proud of it, and not ashamed. It's just a tool. Hated shooting those three, they were nothing but kids, maybe early twenties, nothing better to do but get in trouble. Would have preferred exchanging words maybe get them on a better path, much like Slim opened for me, but when the rounds are cutting you and your partner down there's not much choice."

"How badly were you injured? Can you do a horse yet?"

Chuck instantly approved but made no change in his demeanor now asked sincerely concerned. Lady W, however, would have been a poor poker player as her face was beaming in her approval.

"Two rounds went through, shoulder and g…um, stomach, vertical fracture up my thigh, knee was wrung out like laundry and is headed for a second surgery when we get back, and I got chewed up from the spool of barbed wire. Doctor who put me back together didn't want me making this trip at all, but he's an artist at his craft and came up with all this hardware. Horses are another 6 weeks out." Then without offering any excuse and laying his intent and determination squarely on the table, added, "I'll do what it takes, Chuck, to make this happen. I have a goal to help Slim, here, make something bigger from his ranch and the dreams him and his dad had. I've just had to slow down and take smaller bites for a few weeks."

Slim was carefully watching the group. Small sweat beads from pain were showing up on Jess' upper lip and his face was pinching up telling Slim that Jess was in pain, hiding it and fatigue was folding in on him. Chuck's eyes were gleaming in delight over what he was hearing and Lady W was trying hard to keep from crying both in extreme like for who she was meeting plus in empathy over Jess' condition and his tenacity. She was sitting in a chair with an arm rest that touched Chuck's and their hands were close and fingers had been touching. She tapped Chuck's finger then slowly drew her finger across the top of her lip while Chuck was watching her and Chuck looked back over at Jess and nodded his head. They, too, had noticed Jess was struggling from the day's output.

"How long can you stay?" Chuck repeated.

"I've got the ranch covered for a week, and it took 3 days coming. I know you have a drive in gear which is why we needed to come now. So we'll work around your schedule and how much Jess can handle." Slim offered.

"Where are you in all this, Mr. Sherman? Chuck inquired in the same friendly manner turning his radar on Slim for a direct first impression. Slim was also ready.

"Well, Sir, my father was also Mr. Sherman, and my friends call me Slim. I was fortunate enough to meet Jess about 4 years ago when he came through Laramie on another mission and my younger brother latched onto him. It's been the best thing that's happened to me in my life as we've become great friends and partners. He's got more potential than he was using on his own trail as true with me, also, and we have a dynamic together that is mutually beneficial greater in the sum as two, than we would be as one. I'd like to see that grow to its fullest extent possible because it's not often you find someone in the world with whom you can experience something this special and really accomplish amazing things. I'm here to offer whatever assistance, counsel or guidance I can."

Jess was watching Slim's mouth, not his face, and not showing it openly to everyone, he was stunned by the high degree of educated proficiency of Slim's public speaking skills and his eyes widened slightly.

"All sounds great to me. Let's get after it this way and then adjust as needed. Momma's got a special dinner going we can dive into around 6 or so. I have some things to share with you what's on my mind perhaps at that time so you can turn in early and sleep on it. It'd probably feel good for you for the now, if you two want to settle in your rooms, take a break and rest or freshen up whatever you want. I left tomorrow open so we can show you the ranch, my breeding program and the stock as Jess can handle it, if need be we can spread it out to the next day even. No sense killing anybody off, we just need a final count on the cattle going on the drive. Jr's running the drive and they take of at 4 am day after tomorrow and it'll be very quiet here after they leave. Momma, here, has nurse training from life before Wentworth and she's assisted our doctor here for 40 years on many ranch accidents and health concerns, so if you need anything at all, Jess, please ask, she has a medic room all stockpiled. I realize you're taking risk and cost by meeting my schedule, so whatever we can do, we want to. It's just a business this size runs on a schedule or falls apart, and cattle do cattle things on their own good time and I can't just say, "stop." We're putting you in adjoining rooms in the guest wing so you'll have privacy and quiet, and there's your own bathroom there, but if you need anything at any time, please make yourself at home to the whole house. That includes the kitchen and bar. We can get outside tomorrow and from there the whole ranch is open to you. I look forward to getting acquainted with you two over the next few days and to the beginning of a long and delightful friendship and business. I have some big plans in mind and hopefully, you two will agree to be part of it. Momma pretty much does everything in the house herself, but has an older widow lady who earns some money helping with heavy stuff. My other two kids are back east in college, so the place is ours. I hope you will feel at home and be refreshed when you have to leave. Could you use a break, Jess?"

"Yes, Sir, that'd be great." Jess was sinking fast and Slim stood to help Jess extract himself from the overstuffed chair, lock down the brace and line up on crutches.

Chuck waved a finger in the air while assisting Lady W to her feet. "I told you he was from Texas, Momma."

"I heard it, Poppa. This way, gentlemen."

She waited to see if Jess needed any help, but Slim had things underway and she led off slowly down the hall keeping a helpful eye on Jess. He was grimacing trying to hide the complaining spasms but the short break had already started stiffening things down.

They got to the two rooms and Slim immediately read the set up and designated which one for each so he could keep a watch on Jess who was aching so much he didn't care and aiming for the nearest horizontal like a heat-seeking missile. Slim shadowed Jess to the bed and helped taking off the shoulder holster as Jess released the top buckle on the right leg brace, leaving the left one alone, just bent, got seated deeply into the bed and then toppled slowly rolled onto his left side which faced Slim's room through the adjoining door. He groaned in agony quietly and closed his eyes, fighting off spasms from the change in gravity, and the sheer muscle fatigue having navigated this long of a day.

Slim and Lady W walked back into Slim's room watching Jess through the doorway. She was so busy studying Jess that she inadvertently bumped into Slim who had stopped but without missing one beat, or asking permission, she lightly nestled her petite hands in Slim's large paws still looking at Jess on the bed with her head tilted slightly. Her classy forwardness and lack of needing private personal, or formal space surprised Slim in a delighted way and he quickly accepted her hands astounded at the strength of purpose in such delicate hands. She looked up entreatingly into his face fully expecting Slim's confidence in return to share completely private information in medical needs, she quietly spoke with urgency and concern,

"In his condition, he shouldn't even be out of bed, Slim. What do you need?"

"This break is what he needs, Ma'am. We just have to take things in small doses and go slow. He's stubborn and tough, though, we'll make it."

Slim's shiny blue eyes sparkled looking into her face with a reassuring smile. He couldn't help but feel he was looking deep into her soul and had immediate admiration and love for such a warm, endearing person for her attitude of instant close personal friendship as though they'd known each other as equal adults their whole lives. Still looking up at his face she pulled one hand free and patted his forearm,

"You're such a great friend. I can see that already. Poppa knows some things and has ideas I really believe you two will not only like, but enjoy and it will change your world. Please keep an open mind until you hear and see everything, ok?"

Slim smiled as her tone was more of a confidant working for them.

"Yes, Ma'am."

She turned and looked back studying Jess laying on the bed, her hand raised to her lip and frowning in contemplation.

"I'm worried about him, he's hurting. He already reminds me of Chuck in his younger years. Same inner strength and determined fight."

She looked urgently back up at Slim,

"Is there anything he's not supposed to eat or drink? I'll modify the menu."

"Supposed to be pushing fluids, water, with his stomach healing anything non-alcoholic. He normally eats everything, and on a trail drive I've seen him put down 18 oz steaks and never gain weight. But with the stomach healing, he has to eat small portions and lots of snacks. He says when he runs out of energy, he bottoms out fast."
"Yes, that's all normal. Will he drink milk or is that too sissy?"

"No, he drinks it. Puts sugar and milk in his coffee. Loves apple pie."

"And you? Any allergies or dislikes?"

"I eat anything and glad to have it."

"Very good. If you think of anything at all either of you need or want, please let me know. I have some laudanum and some natural herb pain killers in the house if he'll use them."

"I will, Ma'am."

"We'll see you around 6 then, or if he's asleep or can't make it, let me know and we'll adjust."

She squeezed the hand she was still holding and took one more long glance studying Jess, shaking her head in empathy, then patted Slim's forearm and scurried from the room with something on her mind.

Jess managed to drop off into a power nap and somehow didn't move for 2 ½ hours. Slim unpacked them, checked out the bathroom and then laid down in a fainting chaise in his room where he could keep an eye on Jess and leafed through a family photo album and contemplating what they'd gotten into. At 5:30 he shaved and changed for dinner then woke Jess unceremoniously dropping a very warm washcloth to the face which Jess gratefully enjoyed. Then he helped Jess change to his dress shirt, add a string tie and the dinner coat, steadied him while Jess tucked everything in and helped re-cinch the brace. While finishing getting ready Jess asked Slim what he thought so far.

"Well, so far, I'm happy. Seems all honest and legitimate, nice people. He seems to know how to make money. What about you. How do you read it?

"Same. No flags going off so far. Still have a ton of questions. It could take me 3 days to swim across this bed. That's the biggest one I've ever seen….whole house is bigger than I've seen. Love this log stuff. Feels real tight."

"That bed going to make your bones happy?"

"Need pillows for the Daisy thing, but ya….reckon I could explore it quite nice. It's not the bed, it's getting the body to relax down off of holding tense all day. That takes a while."

Facing Slim as though he were the mirror and pulling his shirt sleeve down inside the coat sleeve,

"Am I done here? What about the gun?"

Jess was pointing over his shoulder at the shoulder holster and gun on the chair.

Slim tucked Jess' string tie down flat,

"Ya, you're fine. As a guest, it's proper to leave the guns behind Jess. These are friendlies. Let's go."

Slim handed Jess his crutches and they were off down the hall arriving at the dining room table at 6pm. Jess was grateful that while the house seemed to go on forever, it was laid out all neatly tucked and rooms were close and the halls were short. As Slim predicted, the dining room was all decked out for an elite social function complete with a giant overhanging antler chandelier with crystal drops and on the table were two crystal candelabras 18" tall, a peach colored silk table cloth and silver flatware. The table was set for four. Chuck had put on a string tie but otherwise not changed and was sitting at the head of the table reading something that he eventually tucked under his bum and Lady W was in the same clothes but had added a festive apron that made the dress look elegant. She got up and came to meet them standing near to Jess in case she could help but not touching or intruding. Both Jess and Slim could tell she wanted to touch Jess in the type of side hug you give longtime friends or relatives, but instead she lightly placed her hand on the top of his nearest hand on the crutch and gestured to the table with her other. For some inexplicable reason Jess took his hand loose from the crutch and collected her hand and kissed the top of her fingertips and she blushed. Slim smiled coyly out of Jess' sight not feeling so embarrassed seeing her open closeness offered to another male as well as somewhat surprised at Jess' debonair response. She just had a way about her that made you want to grab her up in a big hug.
"You men didn't need to change for dinner, but you sure look dapper and handsome. Did you get any rest, Jess?"

"Yes, Ma'am, really helped. That's a wonderful bed, was telling ol Slim here, it'd take me 3 days to swim across it, so big."

Pointing to the middle chairs, "Here, you and Slim get to sit in the middle closest to the food dishes. You'll need that to hold your own against Poppa's appetite. I'll start bringing in the food."

She left and Slim walked Jess to his chair but Jess refused to sit down, hanging onto the back of the chair with one hand. In a silent argument Slim tried to pull the chair out so Jess could sit and Jess subtly wrestled it away from him. Chuck kept reading but caught the motion from the side of his eye and smiled. Lady W came in with several serving dishes and saw them still standing.

"Please, go ahead and sit."

"That's ok, Ma'am. Sure smells good."

Next she came in with the main platter, a huge roasted and stuffed chicken already sliced. And one more trip had the potatoes in a split bowl with stuffing and a second dish of a big gravy boat. The bread and salad, wine glasses and the unopened gift bottle were already on the table with water filled glasses.

"Ok, that should do until dessert. Please, gentlemen, sit."

Jess was nodding at Slim who suddenly remembered and strode to the other head of the table and held her chair while she seated herself.

"Thank you, Slim."

Slim started back to help Jess but he was already halfway seated and Slim went to his chair opposite Jess.

Chuck reached for the nearest bowl and began serving himself and then passing the bowl to Jess spoke,

"We're only semi-formal here, boys. More family than fru-fru, so dig in like you're a family ranch hand. Seconds and thirds are expected as I'm sure she's fixed more than we can eat. If you don't see something and want some, just yell out. We'll go get it. That kitchen's big enough to staff 5 people and just chucked full with food like Momma preparing for a round up."

"Thank you, Chuck."

Slim said filling his plate after Lady W. Jess filled his but with several of his portions he wanted to take more and his hand lingered over the service contemplating a second scoop but put the serving utensil back in the bowl forced to stay with his smaller portions and everyone began eating.

"I thought, to make the most of our time and not wear Jess down, I'd start sharing while we eat. Normally, we don't talk business at the table, but I think we'd be ok to make an exception." He took a huge bite and swallowed quickly being a fast eater, sometimes talking with his mouth full. "If you have questions, jump right in, ok?"

"Fine."

Slim responded and Jess nodded, each with chipmunk cheeks filled with food. Each one had hesitated momentarily with their first bite and looked at each other delightfully entranced with the delicacies they were eating.

"Honesty is paramount with me because without honesty there is no trust and in family and in business, without trust, nothing productive gets done. I'll put it plain and simple. Jess we've met before the trail drive, but you were just about 5 or 6 years old so you probably don't remember it. See Momma and I started out in Texas where I was born and we both knew your parents, Jess."
Jess stopped chewing mid mouthful in surprise then exchanged looks with Slim who raised his eyebrows. Some of his mouthful was ready to go down, but Jess had to think how to do that and it went down hard. This topic was the absolute last thing on Jess' mind or anywhere near the surface of his memory.

"Didn't know them all that well, more of a community acquaintance, did some early business transactions with your dad. Momma and your mom had lady meetings and such. I don't remember your siblings much, but you immediately caught in my eye and the name Jess Harper stuck in my brain clear as the sky after a heavy rain passes."
Jess asked, "Any particular reason?" wondering if the memory was good or bad stuff.

"Well, I could tell you were a handful, even at 5, smart, fast to pick up on stuff, had a broader range of attention beyond just the toy in front of you which you got bored with very fast. I could read the type of man your dad was and the opposites you were, so I knew he would have trouble with you if he didn't get a handle on you early and if he did, it would ruin you. I knew if you weren't handled correctly, even though you had a true heart, you could easily be turned out wrong. It's like a highly pedigreed stallion that has all the potential to outperform everyone, but if not handled with knowledge and gentleness, could turn into a killer and have to be put down. I'm sure you've met a few of those types."

"Yes, Sir, I have. Some of them even had four legs."

Chuck had to stop and do a double take, and Lady W smothered a chuckle and Chuck continued.

"The little contact I had with your Dad showed me the problem was not so much with you, but in him, mostly due to his work ethics, or lack thereof, and was why things between him and me broke down. We moved up here a year or so later and it took everything we could muster in the early years but managed to get a real good start. Later I heard about the Bannister gang raids and your family being wiped out. It bothered me since then always wondering if you'd survived, what happened, how did you turn out…stuff like that. Well, then Jr told me he'd been lucky to nab a couple temporary cowboys helping and found out one of them was named Jess Harper. So I came out to the herd to watch you work, see if you were the same Jess as the kid. By gum, there you were. Older, still thin as a rail, but you can't miss that hair and blue eyes. Being older, you definitely took more after your mom's looks, but that's good, 'cause your dad was a ugly cuss inside and outside, and as I understood, he got worse after Momma and me had left. While we ate that evening on the drive I could see that same guy in your face I'd seen in that 5 year old kid, bright, quick….it's a drive of life and either it's solid and moral, or its completely fractured and evil. I watch people and learn, and there you were, same I saw as a kid. AND just as Jr had reported, the best horseman we'd ever seen, you moved as one with your horse and always had the cattle area assigned to you in sharp order. He was dang impressed how you jumped right in getting things done without him having to call it out and you were instantly at home with the men not even knowing their names yet; how well you cared for your horse and gear. He even asked me if he could try to hire you away from your current boss, how high he could go."

Chuck went in for another bite but Slim nearly choked on his swallow and grabbed his throat with one hand, the other had another fork full ready to put into his mouth wavered mid-air and he quietly lowered it to the plate.

Jess interjected, "You want to see a real horseman," pointing his fork at Slim, "you need to watch that man right there."

Slim had just shoved the next fork full of gravy covered chicken into his mouth and couldn't speak in defense made a face at Jess in embarrassment.

Chuck paused musing for a moment looking at Slim, "That so?" Chewing contemplatively, "Hmmm." He looked back down scooping up another bite and continued,

"Well, Jr said he rarely had to tell you anything, you had anticipated the need and was already addressing it, and had a scope of the whole herd while watching your area. I wasn't surprised, I was thrilled. You and I talked over chow that night and you began asking me questions about the breed characteristics I've been striving to achieve all these years that no one else ever notices, such as the proportions of rump to brisket and muscle shape. Stuff I'm still teaching Jr how to identify, and he's good, but he's learning it while you were just already talking about it. But then after the drive I started hearing about you coming from a wild, gunfighter background more fitting your pop, and it confused me. Which man was I seeing or were people confusing you two as the same person? So since then I've done some digging around through friends and contacts I have back down south and couldn't find much until I landed on Slim's name and started finding good stories of working on posses and filling in for your sheriff and hired to Slim here on a ranch and stage line. So I sent Jr and the boys to Laramie for some fencing to see if they could talk with the locals and identify you further, and they did. Before the drive I had talked with Jr about this next pull-out group we're going to look at tomorrow asking who he thought should be our next candidate and he had already suggested you after the drive. When you walked into the poker game and Jr began losing, on his own initiative, he put in the IOU bill of sale deal and I was thrilled he did. Cowboys at your age and background rarely have startup capital, mostly because of age, and this was a way of accomplishing my goal at the same time giving you the opportunity to earn it. The "Jess" I saw as a kid wouldn't accept the deal unless he earned it. According to him it was a straight game and you managed to build yourself the winning hand, and Jr's no fool at poker."

"I …um.." Jess couldn't find words and had finished his reduced portions and was waiting for comment by his stomach.

"Believe I'll have me some more of that chicken if there's some left." Chuck pointed to the platter.

"Yes, Sir." Jess handed it to him.

"Thank you. Here's the thing, Jess. I always felt by the time you were 10 years old, you'd pass your dad like he was standing still. Unchecked, that is a recipe for disaster and I almost made a trip back south to see if he would loan you out to me and I'd bring you here and raise you with my boys who were about your age. By then, your dad and I weren't on such good terms, by his choice dealing with the dishonesty and trust factor, and I had no door to reach you, then the Bannister gang hit, followed by the war started and I lost track of you. You with me so far?"

"Yes, Sir. Just don't know what to say."
"That's fine. A wise man knows when to listen and when to speak. When you showed up on the trail drive, I felt like I'd been given a second chance to invest in your life in a way your father never had or could. When Jr did the poker deal it seemed to confirm things. But this break out pool only happens every 3, sometimes takes 4 years, where these characteristics come back and show very strongly, and my contracts to provide beef are time specific and have been in place for years, so I can't just move trail drives around. Now as to the Power of Attorney idea, under normal conditions maybe that'd work. It was a good idea. But I've had less than desirable cattlemen trying to get their hands on my breeding stock and they go to some of the most underhanded ways trying to legally steal them. I can't trust anything but a face to face meeting anymore. Anybody can make up an affidavit and sign it, hire a person as a witness too, and be perfectly fake. I don't have anything with your signature to compare to, and I don't know, or didn't, anything about how trustworthy Slim was. And, most of all, I wasn't going to go through with any deal with you without my telling you the truth about having known your dad and mom, and why I wanted to become involved in your life. I don't do things behind backs or with ulterior motives. I vet every person or business I do business with. It's just plain wisdom. Don't you want more food, son? You haven't eaten very much."

"I'm good, Sir. Stomach's still healing, can't push capacity yet even though this food was so good I want to eat everything on the whole table."

"What about you, Slim? Help yourself to seconds."

Slim was finished and patted his stomach, "I'm brim full, Sir."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd like to step in maybe in an uncle capacity, teach you a trade and then underwrite you from which you can make the something of yourself I believe that I saw when you were 5. As you seem to have a natural knack for cattle and horses as any decent Texican should, then I can help. Further, I keep bumping into Slim Sherman, here, and wanted to get to know the person you've saddled up with. A huge part of success in life and in business, is being able to attract and hold on to quality people with whom you can work. Seeing you two together just this afternoon, shows me this character ability in connecting with people already resident in Jess. Since Slim owns land and I constantly need pasture, there's a possibility we can help each other out in a cattle owner/pasture lease and split the profits on the sale of those cattle. They'd be mostly the ones I have to sell off like unqualified cut bulls and infertile heifers. Those go to human food contracts so I need a lot of weight on them from good grass and hay. Slim, if you want to add my line to your existing herd that could work, too. I do require some time out to teach you both my breeding procedure and documentation so we can all stay on the same page and not get into hereditary issues and over breeding. A healthy, disease resistant product is at the top of my priority."

"If I might ask, Chuck, and I do respectfully here, what do you get out of this?"

"Good question, Slim. Thank you for asking. You only qualify yourself further by doing so. I'm not bragging here, but I've always somehow been able to easily make money. But I've found money doesn't satisfy and found that investing in an industry, such as cattle and other interests, and investing in building up other cattlemen's ranch business is much more rewarding than any money and I just plain enjoy giving and improving other people's lives. I have a desire to grow a strong nation and overall improve the world by the time I die. I like people and love to see them learn, grow and prosper, making the world better for all. I have a knack for reading people and being accurate in selecting those of quality just as equally as I can adjudicate quality cattle. My hobby is quarter horses, who are to me, qualified cattle workers. You sure you don't want more food? You guys must be easy keepers."

"Maybe later or overnight, if there's some chicken left I could have a sandwich?" Jess asked looking at Lady W.

"Absolutely, I'll set some portions together for quick sandwiches, they'll be in the kitchen. I have an ice box in there. Just help yourself, or Slim can get them, or just holler and I'll get them for you, any time day or night. Could you handle some dessert? I have a peach cobbler."
"I'm doing fine right now, everything's quiet. But, please don't wait for me." Jess admitted.

"Don't decide anything tonight. Talk it over, let me give you the short tour tomorrow and let you look at the break out pool. I actually have two and you can choose. Whatever you don't want will go to market on the drive day next."

"Do you have any extra I can purchase beyond the IOU and the pool?" Jess asked.

"Sure. You can chose one of the bulls and buy the extra heifers of the other. Or if Slim wants the second bull for his herd, that can be done, too. Do you have extra capital?"

"Well, apparently there was some reward money for the 3 robbers, so I have some, not a lot. I still need to buy a new buckboard, maybe a buggy. We're renting this one. And I want to buy Daisy something special for all her medical nursing putting me back together. Daisy is our cook and housekeeper, helps take care of Mike, an orphan Slim and I have taken over guardianship after his folks were killed not far from Slim's ranch."

"We can work the details out later. What time do you think you can be up and around in the morning?" Chuck inquired.

"That kinda all depends on what kind of night Jess has. Sometimes it takes a while for things to quit hurting or if he has problems during the night."
"The earlier we turn in, the better chance of an earlier morning, Slim." Jess offered, "Would help Jr finalize the group going into the drive so he can be on time."
"That's true. What time do you all plan on getting around?" Slim asked.

Chuck was finally full, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach, "Well on work days we're up before dawn, but since Jr's running most of it now, dawn's been coming later. How does 8 am sound for a breakfast buffet? Then we can get underway about 9:30 for Jr's schedule and he can finish packing the last cattle for the drive. He'll be gone by 4 am morning after. Don't miss those drives so much anymore."

Jess nodded. "We'll aim for 8."
Slim added, "Be ok if we let Jess buggy around? I can ride Alamo. Don't know where we're going, but that buggy's in great shape."

"Ya and that was a nice bay you rode up on. Mostly around the ranch here, maybe down a road. Buggy works….he can show me his driving skills." Chuck smiled. "You like quarter horses? I can show you some of my hobby up close – 3rd barn."

"Sure!" Slim accepted quickly.

"Why don't you men go settle in the living room. I'll bring some coffee and brandy and we'll have dessert later, closer to bed." Lady W was busy accommodating Jess' eating intervals as though it were the normal schedule.

"Sounds good, Momma." Chuck slowly extracted himself and watched Slim take Lady W's chair for her to stand, then finished helping Jess handing the crutches to him from the floor.

After watching Jess adjust the braces, Chuck offered as they hobbled to the living room, "That's quite a rig you're strapped into, kinda like chaps, only on one leg."

"Ya, this doctor was on the incoming stage behind our accident, put me back together with Daisy's help. This is a prototype he's developing and I'm supposed to give him feedback."

Slim added, "He's trying to set up an emergency and rehab hospital in Denver geared to work with ranch accidents and supported by some of the better cattlemen associations in this area."

Lady W's eyes watered and she looked pleadingly at Chuck who smiled sweetly at her.

"You just rang my wife's bell, Slim. She's been after me for years to do something to improve the medical end of the cattle business. Nobody seems to need it more, ranching has its own set of hazards and she's fixed some pretty nasty injuries with, she calls, "sticks and stones." How far along is this guy and what's he need?"

They arrived in the living room where Slim and Jess sat down in the same chairs. The effort brought a return of the moisture to Jess' upper lip. Chuck started a small fire in the fireplace more for atmosphere than heat and Lady W stood listening to the conversation.

"Right now he's in Denver looking for a multi-story building to rehab and some expansion land around it and is looking for a few more associations with start up capitol. He says he's got about 65% of the money raised."

"Poppa, you've got that building…"

"Yes, Dear….let's see…" musing to himself rubbing his chin. "I won a 3 story building just off the downtown area in a poker game, it has about 3 acres included. Been sitting empty while I decide what to do with it. Pretty new, maybe 7 years old, was supposed to be an old folks home, but they ran out of money. Why it got put into the game. Mother and I went to see it about 4 months ago. Needs plumbing and finishing, but they'd want to specify that if turned into a medical facility."

"Do you know of any cattlemen associations that'd be interested in supporting a medical facility for this industry?" Slim asked while monitoring Jess who was fading with a full stomach.

"Yes I do, Slim, and I happen to be the president of it. We're due for our quarterly meeting. I'd have to work up a business plan detailing their shares proportionate to the sizes of their ranch and number of employees, say for a discount in treatment. You think I could meet this doctor maybe we could all meet in Denver and look over my building? I could do a lease on the building with a buyout clause once he's fluid and making a profit. He'd be improving my property and should he not make it, I could always sell a hospital at a later day easier than an empty building."

"He's coming to the ranch after we get back to do Jess' knee surgery, I'd be delighted to talk to him about it."

"You like his character, Slim?" Chuck queried.

"I do." Jess quietly interrupted. "He didn't have to get off that stage and lift one finger, but Slim said he went down the ravine with him, treated me at the bottom and helped Slim bring me back up, then patched me together in an over 12 hour operation. These braces are great and he's not asked or accepted one dime of payment. The man loves what he's aiming at, he's an artist and wants to make wrangler careers better."

"He grew up on a ranch in Montana." Slim added. "I do like him. Very much."

"Then just keep me in the loop." Lady W was brimming in tears and Chuck gathered her in a hug. "We'll make Momma's dream come true. She's earned it putting up with me all these years giving everything she's got." He reached over and kissed her forehead.

Jess startled, "Opp!" A small, soft, fluffy critter vaporized in his lap and he instantly cradled it in his hands. "And who are you, little Miss?" She was busy sniffing his lap, especially the right side and down his leg.

Lady W quickly wiped her nose with a hanky that was stuffed up her sleeve and reached to take the pet. Jess waved her off, delighted with the contact with an animal.

"I'm sorry, Jess. That's Sasha. She's a Papillon dog that belongs to my daughter's best girlfriend McKenzie. They are both back east in college together and asked me to take care of her. She rarely comes out of my daughter's bedroom and doesn't go near other people, I'm stunned she came out here. This is pretty amazing, she's not even barking. I can take her if…"

Jess was smiling big, busy scratching and stroking the little 8 pound fluff of reddish color patches on white.

"That's ok. We're doing fine." He fingered her ear fringe, "Look at these wings."

"Jess is an animal magnet. Them and kids always come running right up to him." Slim filled them in.

"Critters and I go way, way back. Ever more friends and unconditional love, back before I remember people."

Sasha was getting her cheeks rubbed and she sniffed Jess' breath and then curled down and rubbed her head on his chest under his chin. Jess gently monitored and shifted her off injury sites. Laying on his chest she started sniffing his stomach.

"I think you've made a new friend, Jess." Lady W delighted.

"Oh we're gunna be more than just friends, right Sash? What's a Pappy…what'd you say?"

"Papillon. It's a French breed, means butterfly after the fringe on the ears."
"How big will she get? Probably not 8 pounds." Jess asked and Chuck nearly choked in laughter.

"That's it, Jess. She's topped out. What, Momma, now 3 years old?

"Well, yeah, 3 it is. Where does time go? I'm going to get the coffee. Be right back."

"She really doesn't go to anybody, Jess. Won't let me or Jr, or Bessy. She tolerates Momma because Momma's got the food."

Slim noticed Jess beginning to have pain spasms he couldn't hide and his face was getting more and more pale.

"Got no playmates, uh Sash. I bet they don't even let you outside much passed doing your chores…you're so small someone step on you, or big bird carry you off. You sure are the prettiest little girl I've ever met."
"I think Jess has a new girlfriend.." Slim teased.

"Ya, well, go find your own…you're just jealous, Slim." Jess poked back, his jaw jutted forward, drawing Sasha close for a hug. "She's just the cutest little sweetie." Jess nuzzled her with his face.

Lady W came back in with a tray complete with china coffee pot, sugar and a large creamer and coffee mugs that were not too off brand from matching her china. She served Chuck first, then Slim, finally set the tray down in front of Jess on a coffee table and filled his mug half full.

"Cream and sugar?" offering to mix for him and he replied.

"Yes, just one sugar."

She put in a teaspoon of sugar and filled the mug with cream to the top, stirred and handed it to Jess leaving the saucer on the tray. Jess looked at the mug and the amount of cream and looked at her finding her watching him still.

"About right?" She asked.

He smiled back, "Perfect." Sasha sniffed the mug as Jess took his first sip. He dipped the cup so she could look in and sniff it. "You drink coffee, Sash? It'll put hair on your chest." He warned teasingly. She snorted lightly from the heat and returned to her curl on his lap and Jess took his right hand out of the sling and covered her like a blanket.

"I can take her, Jess, if she's too heavy." Lady W offered.

"She's fine. The heat feels good on some spots. Pretty sure she smells the injuries and she's trying to cover me in protection." Jess stroked her lightly.

Chuck looked at Lady W and Slim raised his eyebrows – all three agreeing with Jess' interpretation.

"You think McKenzie'd miss her if I tucked her into my luggage?" he continued.

"Well, I dunno, Jess. Sasha was a Christmas gift from her mom the first year the girls went to college so it wasn't planned or too well thought out. They couldn't take her to college and Kenzie's mom passed six months later, so I agreed to take her in their second year of school. All Kenzie's had is summers which are only 2 months long. I'm not even sure Sasha knows who or if she belongs to someone, poor dear. She's really a smart dog and very tender. Kenzie, or McKenzie is my daughter's best girlfriend. They grew up together and most people think they're sisters. She's a lovely person. Her dad is one of the first cattle ranchers that Poppa sold a starter set to years and years ago. He's done nicely building a spread adjoining ours and almost as big."

"Does she have siblings?" Slim asked.

"No, they had a younger son, but he died at birth. She's a single child and will take over and run her dad's ranch after him. Both girls are quite the cowboy, but everyone agreed they needed to go east for finishing and business education. One more year to go and they'll be back! Can't hardly wait."

"Jess said Jr told him about a brother?"

Chuck chimed in, "Ya, my youngest son, Jeremy, is back in college, too. They are staying with Momma's relatives. Jerry's got a scientific head first, cowboy second. He's studying husbandry and business. His goal is to find a way to obtain and suspend sperm, would save lots of money not having to keep a rotation of 4 to 5 bulls alive and a more sure bet getting all the heifers covered. But we'll see. He's got 2 years to go." Chuck looked at Lady W and smiled then over his coffee cup added, "Both Diane and McKenzie are single." Pointing to a pair of pictures sitting on the mantle. "Diane's the blond."

Jess and Slim looked at the picture and raised their eyebrows quickly impressed with their beauty.

"They're stunning." Jess offered.

"Yes," Chuck chuckled, "but they're a handful. Most men can't seem to get their attention. Nothing showing up back in college either."

"The right ones will come at the right time, Poppa. Just like you and me, Jr and Bessy."

"I know, Momma."

Jess started fidgeting and Slim wasn't sure if it was the marriage topic being hinted at or the fatigue of the day. Jess' coffee cup was empty and Lady W stood up to retrieve it.

"Ready for some cobbler?"

"Mind if I get a rain check on mine, Ma'am? It was a lovely dinner, thank you. Everything is quite comfortable there." Jess' voice was quiet.

"I'll fix it and bring it to your room with some liquid to match. You can eat it during the night or save it for morning. Slim?
"Same for me, Ma'am. I think we need to get ahead of tomorrow and turn in." Slim pointed to Jess behind Jess' view.

"Yes, I see that. Quite fine. I'll be by in an hour or so to drop them off. It will give me a chance to clean up the kitchen. I'll see you soon." She gathered up empties and departed.

Slim reached over to help Jess extract himself from the chair and without lifting her head Sasha growled low and quietly. Slim retrieved his hand and instead went for the crutches. 'I'm gunna have to watch myself I can tell." Jess gently put Sasha on the floor where she reluctantly scooted over with just enough room for the crutches.

"Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, Chuck, and especially for your honesty. I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Jess offered his right hand out of the sling and they shook hands gently.

"You're quite welcome, Jess. One way or the other, I'd like to be in your life in some way be there for you. It's completely your choice, son. Slim! A pleasure, sleep well!" He offered Slim and received another firm handshake. "Good night, men." He walked off following Lady W's path.

Getting in and around free of the furniture Jess took another look at the fireplace mantle for a closer look at the pictures and then started off down the hall. Sasha fell in step walking perkily beside Jess down the hall, her face uplifted watching Jess' and her rear fringe hair culottes sashaying side to side and Slim fell in behind Jess grinning at the pair.

Jess headed for the bathroom first and Slim held up the door jam partially closed standing by if Jess needed help with the braces. Sasha sat impatiently waiting outside with Slim and he knelt down and offered to pet her. She tolerated it and then skootched over just out of reach, whined and sat back down.

"Dad gum, Slim. Even this bathroom's huge."
"It's got running water, too, and if you let it run a second or so, it gets warm. Look up in the tub."

"A shower? And hot water? Dadgum! So quiet in this house. Is that because of the logs?"

"Ya, the thickness. Good insulation."

Jess came back through the door shirt unbuttoned and untucked and brace half buckled, the string tie was pulled down. Sasha stood up and wagged her tail at him.

"Did you miss me, Sash?" He couldn't bend over or kneel without falling so he offered a hand and Sasha licked it lightly. "Ah…a kiss. Be interesting to see how he's got the plumbing set up. You next?"

"No, I'll get it later. Thought you'd want to get flat first, pull the saddle off."

"Oh, ya…you bet." Jess wobbled into his bedroom with Slim and Sasha tagging behind. He looked around the bedroom this time to finish seeing the room and noticed the bed turned down.

"You do that, too?"

Nope. Was closed when we left for supper."

Jess turned around and started pulling the rest of the buckles loose and Slim assisted. As soon as they were freed, Jess sank onto the bed groaning. Slim gently wiggled the boot off while Jess braced each leg. While Jess finished pulling off his clothes, Slim retrieved his night over-sized button up shirt that gave some air to his upper and lower skin wounds and covered his shorts, holding them as Jess pulled one off and then put on in sequence. Slim was looking carefully at all the bandages checking for seepage or blood and found the back exit wound's pads were moist. Jess got the shirt on unintentionally flapping part of it in Slim's inspecting face and Slim flipped the tail back up taking a look at the back injuries.

"Jess, these are a little soggy, we need to look. You feel anything leaking or burning?" He reached into Jess' luggage for the medical bag.

"Everything's singing, it's a dadgum choir and they ain't even on the same song. This gash up here is….EYOW!" Jess squeaked and reached for his back with his left hand running smack dab into a cold wet nose exploring his back wounds. He gently pushed her away before Slim could whap her off the bed and continued.

"This one that crosses the ravine you told me to watch is burning. Probably sweat. Need to check it, too."

"Ok, roll on over and we'll get them next." He motioned for Jess to roll to the middle of the bed where he could knee onto the bed and address the issues. The back wounds were seeping clear fluid from all the vibration of the buggy for 3 days, the crutching pull and overall movement and looked like they were beginning to bruise under the skin.

"Ya, these are leaking, but it's clear fluid. Is it stinging?"

"No. Probably the vibration and stretch moving the scabbing loose. Buggy's got a solid vibration to it."

Slim replaced the pads and tied him back up and the shirt fell down in place but remained unbuttoned covering Jess' midsection.

"We need to watch that because of your spine. Ok, now the front."

With his stomach wound still not strong enough to enable him to hold a forward curl or his head up to reach his gashes, Jess eased mostly onto his back and Slim pulled back that side of the shirt then tenderly and slowly eased the pad off the front gash near the right hip. It was loose from being wet and came off quickly. Sasha found the gash with her cold nose when Slim was looking the other way putting the wet pad down causing Jess to jump and he quickly pulled her away.

"Hey! You're not cleared for that area, Sash, we just met." He placed her near his head where she promptly snuggled into his hair and watched Slim very closely.

"This one's not happy, Jess. It's got some blood ooze and now bruising under the skin."

"The brace rubs it some. Not surprised. No way you can walk without some hip movement. Is it a lot of blood?"

"Some big drops, so far. Let me go get a wet cloth." He eased off the bed and disappeared to the bathroom.

"Warm water, Slim!" Jess called after him. Sasha started to get up to go back to Jess' exposed site and he gently brought her back to his head and gently held her down again.

"Just control yourself, Sweetie. I know you want to help. Slim's a good nurse, just watch and see how he does it."

She easily obeyed and Slim was back with a warm cloth and gently placed it over the wound. Jess relaxed at the heat and Sasha settled back into his hair.

"Dadgum….that heat feels good. Thanks, Slim. Well, that was a complete surprise. So what do you think?" Jess laid he head back resting, staring at the log ceiling and enjoying the heat on a tender spot. His voice was quiet and analytical.

"I don't remember anything before my 6th birthday. Do you remember anything when you were 5?" Slim queried wanting to check out the story they'd heard.

"Not much, mostly unhappy stuff. I do remember Mom had a very close girlfriend from the east coast who was a nurse and they were so close people thought they were sisters, and my dad wasn't very good with business. Like I told ya when Gil came through after I first got here, the Harpers weren't the best people and I'm not proud of most of them, but it's all the family I had. He had a nasty temper and no patience and would sometimes do shady things and men would yell at him. ….then he'd take it out on the rest of us. I was bored with everything but my pet collection and found friends with horses I could ride so to get away from the house. Wentworth IS a big name with long roots in Texas. Lady W. doesn't talk much but has an accent and the more she talks, the more it seems familiar. My mom was friendly, never knew a stranger, talked with everyone, never had a bad word about anybody. I hung out more with my mom 'cause my dad and I um..never really meshed well, so I don't remember people he knew. I remember wondering what the two of them ever saw in each other to have gotten married. That is a clear memory. One time when I was about 7 in front of Francie and me, he turned on my mom all sudden like a rattlesnake and was all over her, I mean all over her, his pants were loose and he was ripping her clothes off. She couldn't even grab enough air to scream. I told Francie to run and shoved her out the front door and then I almost …"

There was a long pause and Jess turned his face into Sasha's coat for several moments. Slim's eyes went into fight mode and his face turned red hot.

"If I'da only been bigger…..."

Jess mumbled then after a few more moments slowly regained control looking back up to the ceiling beams,

"… well…" he took a slow, deep breath, "I missed school the rest of that year, couldn't move." Jess waved his hand indicating up and down his current body with multiple injuries. "It wasn't pretty. Let's just say the 7 year old human body is not designed to fly through walls and I was scrawny anyway 'cause we never had a lot of food. Good wind'd blow me over."

"Did it knock you out?" Slim was concerned how much Jess witnessed and the emotional trauma he would have experienced as a 7 year old.

"Knocked the bloody wind outta me, body parts couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Hadn't much landed and he went back at her and…."

"You saw the whole thing?" Slim's face was steeled tight and his jaw barely moved.

Jess looked ever so briefly at Slim's face with empty eyes then quickly back to the ceiling raising his left hand to his forehead covering his eyes unconsciously, "Something about 'teaching me 'who's man of the house and consequences of disobedience if I ever challenged him again.' Anyways, after that whenever things flared up with him and me, I started finding ripped bloody pieces of my pets laying around and it went downhill from there."

"The pain you're feeling now reminded you of that event?" Slim had caught Jess' gesturing his body and was worried the accident was bringing back awful memories.

"Didn't bring it back, but sure is 'xplaining a few things I felt then but nobody knew what to tell me." Jess didn't catch Slim's worry. "Mom did what she could through her tears, but I'm sure my dad wouldn't pay for no doctor. Never much cared for women with painted eyes after seeing her face like that."

"So that's when you used crutches before." Slim's face was flushed and he was cringing, his jaw still locked down in anger and he shifted trying to hold himself quietly to the bed.

"Ya. More like tree limbs she found so I could get out of the house when he was home. I never went out of earshot, though, if she or Francie needed me. Come to think, Francie seemed to spend a lot of time at mom's cousins after that. They lived way over in east Texas. She was over there when the Bannister's came."

In a matter of fact manner Jess reached for the cloth on his hip and looked at it to check the amount of blood. The cloth contained several large drops but nothing gushing or flowing and he turned the cloth inside out to a clean spot and wiped his face off and then Sasha wanted to smell the cloth and he held it for her. Slim reached for the ointment tube making his own face seeing the bruising surfacing under the gash.

"Incoming cold." He announced and Jess braced making a face and unable to pull the right leg up because of the break, he had to lean slightly into this hip. Slim gently tapped the ointment into the gash and Sasha growled very quietly. He replaced the pad with a new one and tied it down.

"Let's take a look at that knee."

He handed the ointment tube to Jess who took it with his left hand and with his right hand gently felt the hip bandage and then took his hand back to Sasha. Slim moved to Jess' left knee and began unwrapping it gently. It was also oozing at the skin level and Slim took the cloth from Jess and rotated it to a new surface and dabbed it clean.

"So where were you when the Bannister…?"

Jess' voice was emotionless and became more disconnected to the story as he recounted it.

"Amongst some other shady business my dad had going, we'd been working shares on a ranch in the panhandle. There'd been 5 of us kids, but my two older brothers had disappeared with my dad on a trip just before that and never came back and earlier that day Mom had just found their bloody holsters in the barn. With Francie over to my mom's cousins it was just my parents and the new baby girl, was about 3 months old. Mom and I'd just come inside from hanging out a stack of diapers and I was carrying my baby sister in the laundry basket. I'd been helping 'cause my mom was weak and sickly by then, getting really skinny and bleeding a lot and the baby was born sick with some kind of rash my mom couldn't cure and had this pitiful cry."

"Did you help your mom diaper the baby?"

"Ya, she was very tiny like," Jess held his hands up and apart about 15 inches as he talked, "wasn't gaining weight, a little more than Sash here, but she couldn't do much more than feed her. When she wasn't crying, the baby had these cute little dimples when I could get her to giggle some. Anyway, Mom sent me upstairs 'cause my dad was just getting home and true to form, just inside the door off the porch he fired up in her face screaming because the baby was another girl and the baby started crying. He was raising his fist to start in on her again and I headed back downstairs when I heard the commotion outside, looked out the window and saw the gang charging the house, shooting their guns and lofting fire brands. My dad was cut down before he could turn around. Mom grabbed my arm and had the basket in her other and we ran out the back side of the house. The wind had been blowing hard all day and it had been so dry the house went up in flames in just seconds and the basket, my shirt tail and her skirt all caught fire as we went through the door. I batted her skirt out but it already had blood on it and she pulled my shirt off and then pushed me up my climbing tree. She stood at the bottom trying to pull the baby out of the burning basket telling me she was going to hand her up to me but the gang caught up to her and dragged her back into the yard. Her hands were burnt and she couldn't fight them off. Someone fired into the basket before it hit the ground to shut the baby up and it finished burning. The rest started tormenting my mom, dragged her back and threw her at the house, and the clothesline with the burning diapers fell across her head and she was batting at them….then just kinda sank straight into the ground, I dunno, had to be at least a dozen shots all close together, was guns going off going every direction. They made target practice piecing apart my pets, the chickens and the milking cow laughing all the time how brave they were and one of them rode off with my dad's horse. She'd been jittery that day, said she had one of those pree-moan…. things."

Slim was shaking his head. "Premonitions?" Slim offered.

"Ya, one of those."

"How old were you?"

"Just turned 15."

"Incoming cold, Jess. You stay in the tree?"

Jess braced against the cold ointment but he had a good start of scab covering and wasn't as bad as the first time.

"It was loaded with low hanging limbs covered in leaves and for 2 days couldn't move inside. People finally arrived seeing the smoke, but by the time they got there was nothing left to bury. Overheard one lady say they'd wire Francie so's she could stay put then they were gone by night. When I did came down, found my dad's burnt gun where the porch had been and just walked away, never looked back swearing I'd find every last one of them. Days later I fired the gun once trying to feed myself and it fell apart nearly took my hand off, so I later sold it for scrap metal. Didn't even buy a meal."

"Ok, done, Jess."

Slim whispered and finished rewrapping the knee and lightly tapped it. With effort Jess rolled up to a seated position sucking in air from moving sore muscles and finished putting himself back together for bed buttoning half of the shirt. Slim watched him and specifically took a look at Jess' face. But Jess' jaw was tight and he had pulled his emotions up snug to his vest and had tucked them in some inner cavity heavily scarred and protected by years of being ignored. Knowing Jess was vulnerable from the exhaustion and pain, Slim decided to change the subject.

"Anything else need a look? How's the pain and strength?" Slim asked.

"Still tip toeing on the left knee. It screams at night, starts to cramp inside the knee, 'at's getting worse. Right still won't hold weight. New soreness from the crutch action. Stomach and back muscles are rock hard by night from the tension holding myself with a change trying to balance. But, we got here, right? Sounds almost too good to be true, we'll have to see what tomorrow shows, I guess." His left hand was tenderly massaging Sasha's fur coat. "You want the other bull and heifers? Maybe I can work a deal."

"I don't have any money, Jess. This is your investment time and decision. We have enough to deal with right now anyway. I am interested in the pasture lease. We could always put up more beef. Got plenty of land, just needs fencing and the Jackson place next to us just went up for sale. That's pure pasture. Maybe I can get in on the next 3rd year group."

He could visibly see Jess sinking fast by the second, becoming extremely pale and unfocused his head bobbing to the side fighting exhaustion, almost as though someone had been soaking in an overly hot tub and then pulled the plug in the bathtub and all the dirty water had drained out and Slim suspected it wasn't physical dirty water.

"Let me get the spare pillows off my bed." Slim had never seen Jess so far sagged out, grabbed the cloth from Jess' relaxed right hand and the ointment tube and took off for his room. When he got back seconds later with an armload of pillows, Jess had skootched into place on the bed and Slim handed him pillows which were strategically placed supporting his legs and injuries and the covers came up. Sasha managed to snuggle into Jess' back unnoticed on top the bedding.

"Been a long day… thanks,…. Sslim…. 'nite."

Jess' voice was monotone, deep but extremely quiet and he spoke as though in slow motion and without eye contact. Jess' eyes closed quickly and stayed shut and Slim could hear the quiet moaning with every exhale.

"Nite, Jess."

Slim turned down the extra lantern leaving the second one lit only enough to where he could monitor Jess through the night. In the doorway between their rooms he stood looking at Jess for several minutes shaking his head at the horrible memories Jess had of his boyhood, amazed he turned out so well, and that he hadn't gone bad. He had the distinct impression that Jess had never opened up and shared with anybody these details Slim had just heard believing it was only the tip of the iceberg to his whole history. Slim decided that it was the extreme pain and accumulating fatigue since the accident that had worn down all the walls to a room in which Jess had confined his horrible memories. That had been added to the adrenaline from the complete surprise of the evening's revelation that some significant businessman had been that close to his destiny as a child which had been the key to the lock in the door of that room that had caused Jess to unload. Each time he learned the little snippets of Jess' history, more of the picture came together about this incredible man who'd come into his world. Shaking his head slightly Slim leaned his forehead against the door jam and closed his eyes seeing it reviewed in his mind's eyes and he tried to fight the tears Jess had never released. But Slim lost his struggle knowing how close he'd been to his own mother and what that would have done inside him. Slim stood supported by the door jam, brought his forearms up against the opposite jamb and buried his face in them. For several moments he quietly lost the sobs on behalf of a 7 year old boy who, laying broken on the floor, had been forced to watch and hear his mother violently raped and the bond the boy and mother would have found in each other, only to then 8 years later watched her burning alive and be so outnumbered and unarmed, so helplessly unable to rescue her that he couldn't move for 2 days. After a few moments, Slim wiped his own face off in the same wet cloth where Jess had, nodding to himself now understanding more and more the where and why of Jess' temper and short fuse with certain people, mostly of the bullying type, his intense propensity to protect any woman, and his automatic instinct to fight for the underdog who was in the right. Furthermore, Slim understood with better clarity the extreme depth from where these characteristics came and the why of the intense emotion that sometimes required him to try to pull Jess down out of the rafters. Jess had never had any decent role models to help him learn to understand his emotions let alone how to deal with controlling them. With one last look for the night at Jess, still shaking his head Slim turned and went to his room sagging in energy. He struggled to pull off the fancy, and the boots fell numbly from his hands to the floor. Without thought, he dropped the used cloth into the pitcher of water in the stand next to their adjoining door, turned and pulled himself sprawled out face first across the bed and a few seconds later turned his head to the side to breathe…just needing a half minute before ….his last trip to the… bathroom. But for the first time in Slim's memory his feet didn't hang off the edge of the bed.

CHAPTER: 8 Morning Memories

It was a little before 7 am when Slim heard the next noise and his head jerked up off the pillow. He discovered he was still cockeyed across the bed but covered with a light blanket and having curled on his side, had a pillow under his head he couldn't remember grabbing. At first, while rubbing his eyes, he couldn't even remember where he was, thinking at first he was dreaming. He'd never been in such a plush bedroom nor had he slept that deeply for so long. Then he remembered Jess and flipped the covers back, jerked to his feet and almost fell over, catching himself on the door jamb to stay upright. Through the door he could see Jess still sleeping in the bed, on his left side facing him and still packed in pillows. There was an empty plate on Jess' nightstand and an empty glass, looked like the cobbler and milk had been consumed somewhere in the night. He glanced quickly at his nightstand and found the full versions still waiting for him. Slowing down but still rubbing his eyes, Slim silently slipped next to Jess' bed and slowly pulled the covers back from Jess' face. He heard a low growl from the front of Jess' body and quickly replaced the covers. Jess shifted slightly from the cool breeze and flinched into the small spasm the move caused, but otherwise remained asleep. Slim backed up and sat on the edge of his bed, looked at the cobbler and picked up the fork, ate a large bite that was about 1/3rd of the portion, then drank the full glass of milk down. It tasted wonderful. He then made a trip to the bathroom and after finishing, brought a hot cloth back for Jess' face. The clock on the shelf said it was 7 am and they had 1 hour to get to breakfast. He got back to Jess' room by going through his own room and stopped at the adjoining door because of what he saw. Jess was mostly awake and rolled onto his back and he was completely consumed with what he was doing. Sasha was laying on top the blanket on Jess' chest facing him, they were hip to hip with Sasha's back legs stretched completely behind her and down Jess' legs. Jess had both hands on either side of Sasha's cheeks, rubbing her just under the ears where her fringe was touching. Jess was mumbling nothing words and Sasha kept yawning and making a little yip at the end of each yawn sounding exactly like a human. Jess' legs were slightly spread apart and partially propped at the knees by support pillows under the covers and Sasha turned while maintaining the laying contact and laid across his hips. She then put her head into his crotch and very tenderly rubbed the top of her head against his right thigh nearly on top a large patch of shredded skin bandaging. When Jess would put his hand down to guide her from injuries, she would rub the top of her head in his hand and then bring her front legs up swiping the side of her face as though rubbing her sleepy eyes. It was extremely endearing and tender between two souls whose early years had been hard in self identity and belonging anywhere and their body contact was of reassurance and acceptance as worthy individuals needing each other and communicating without words. This went on for a good 5 minutes or more and Slim smiled leaning against the door watching the pair on the bed. Sasha finally slipped off of Jess and seemed to be angling to dive between his legs still at his crotch, to curl up for a nap and Jess was drifting into a snooze unconcerned about Sasha's location or nearness.

"And I thought a warm cloth would feel good to you this morning." Slim advised with a smile. "Silly me."

Jess startled and looked over at him with a disgusted look.

"Ahk! Can't a guy get any privacy in this world!?"

"I see you got quite a thing going there with your new girlfriend. Moving kinda fast in this relationship aren't you? Ya just met last night." He teased.

"What can I say, Slim, I'm an easy pushover for a pretty face." His hand could barely reach her laying between his legs, but with his fingertips he was able to tousle her long tail draped over his left leg.

"Especially, the fluffy, furry ones?"

"With four legs and a tail and a wet nose that keeps finding tender spots; and she's managed to find every one. Doesn't push, or prod, just sniffs, maybe a tiny lick kiss. She slept the whole night up here and I barely felt her. Hadn't been for the heat from her body, I'da never known. It was like a tiny moving hot pad and felt good. She went from one wound to the other. Quite the little nurse."

He made a tiny kissing sound with his lips calling her and she pricked her head and ears up and looked at him. He patted his chest and she came back and laid hip to hip again facing him and he rubbed her cheeks again.

"She's just the right weight, flattens my back out without any pressure."

"I thought I was doing a good job on the nurse thing." Slim pretended to pout.

"Well, aside from the fuzzy face, you don't have 4 legs and a tail. You sleep ok?

"Crashed and burned. I didn't even know the cobbler and milk arrived and somebody covered me up."

"Ya, that cobbler was delish. Had a deep knee cramp middle of the night and when it quit, I was ravenous and snarfed mine down. She's a great cook! Puts a strong chase on Daisy's pie."

"You think you two can pull yourselves apart and cool down long enough to get going on the day?"

Jess gently took Sasha and wrapped her in his arms and slowly rolled back onto his left side holding her in his hug. She rolled in his arms facing out, her head just below his chin, her back to his chest making no move to stop him, even seemed proud of herself. "I dunno," Jess said, "I think we make a cute pair." He grinned coyly at Slim and kissed the back of her head.

Slim grinned and threw the now cold cloth at Jess' head where it landed covering both of their faces. Jess started making kissing sounds in jest.

"Just wait until Daisy hears about this. Nurse or not, I can't watch you throwing yourself at this female, I'm getting dressed." Slim went back to his room and changed clothes for the day.

Jess talked to Sasha from under the cloth, "Ya well, Daisy can just talk. Not everyday I get loving therapy like this. Right Sash?" She turned to him displacing the cloth and started licking his face.

"Ok, ok….control yourself…girl. It's too soon for that part! Whadda think, I'm easy?" With that he began to flip covers and pull pillows so he could escape the bed for the bathroom. He had an almost 2 day growth of scruff showing up pretty strong that needed attention this morning. Sasha was on top the homemade quilt and all the movement of Jess pulling pillows tossed her up and around on top the very large bed and she thought it was romp time. So she'd land on a harder area, face Jess with her front end down on her elbows and her bum in the air with the tail flag wagging delightfully, trying to catch a piece of the quilt in her mouth as he moved it. Jess caught on and half in and half out of the bed dropped a corner of the quilt where she could reach it and she latched on starting a game of tug-o-war. Not wanting to damage the quilt, when she'd back up with it in her mouth, he'd feign she was dragging him across the bed, she'd reach the edge almost to drop off and he'd pull her back out of danger, she'd drag her legs out behind her. They were playfully growling at each other. Slim came back within a minute finding Jess pulled onto his elbows and stomach in nothing but bandages, his shorts and his night shirt unbuttoned and flopped open but the shirt tail covering his bum in the air, the top of the bed in lumps of messy bedding.

"Boy, you two've got it bad." Slim teased smiling.

"She's all girl, Slim. Kissy, kissy one minute, wrestling the next." Faking like he was at the end of endurance Jess called over his shoulder without losing his gaze on her. "Don't know how long I can hold her off."

"Ya well, with that scruff on your face, I don't blame her not wanting to get close."

Jess reached with his right hand to feel his face and then rubbed his eyes. He gently dragged her close and pulled her around into a hug and kissed her face. She made a swipe to lick his and he pulled her just out of range. "Ya, ya..I know. Need to go scrape it off. All bristly at this stage, not pretty like yours. We can play some more later, ok?" She wagged her tail and he tucked her in the middle of the bed where she circled and settled half covered in the bedding and pillows to watch him, her nose pointed into the bed where Jess' body had been all night. Slim had walked around the bed picking up Jess' clothing that had gotten ejected in the play and Jess sat on the bed and began putting himself together so he could get to the bathroom and shave.

Slim followed Jess who wobbled into the dining room where the table had a new dressing. Slim had carried their dirty dishes and the unnamed lady helper appeared from nowhere and whisked them away. The food was being set up on a buffet along the wall behind the place Jess had set the night before. The hot foods were on burners lit by candles underneath and there was a pan of fluffy scrambled eggs, one with country potatoes with cooked onions and chives, one with bacon, sausage, and another with biscuits. A gravy boat was on the table sitting over a smaller candle in the middle of the table. The candelabras were replaced by short vases of cut flowers of all colors and on a very pale yellow table cloth. Coffee and a small pitcher of milk were waiting on the table with a crystal bowl of butter. This time Chuck was helping bring the hot food to the buffet. On one side of the buffet were the plates.

"Good morning, gents. Hope everyone slept well."

"Yes, Sir. Did great!" Jess answered.

Slim added, "I slept so good I didn't know where I was when I woke up. It's very peaceful here."

Lady W arrived carrying a crystal bowl divided into several wells all containing a different color of jellies and set it down on the table.

"Good morning!" Her smile lit up the entire room. "I hope you're hungry. Please let's proceed." She pointed to the buffet.

Chuck led the way and Lady W appointed Slim next followed by Jess who was trying to figure out how he could crutch and carry a plate down a buffet line, too. She placed herself after Slim, picked up a plate and began backing in front of Jess. All he had to do was position himself, grab a serving spoon and dish out the portion he wanted.

He caught on quickly, smiling. "I see you've done this before."

She smiled tenderly back, "Many years of experience with all kinds of guests. Just take your time, Jess."

"It all smells so good, I could eat the whole buffet. That cobbler really hit the spot middle of the night, thank you!"

"I'm glad. I do love to cook, just need to find hungry appetites."

He finished and she carried his plate to the table and set it down and went back to the buffet to get her serving. Chuck and Slim had already sat down and started eating, but Jess waited. When she came to the table, Slim stood up and held her chair while chewing and then Jess and Slim seated themselves.

"So did either of you have questions that came up since last evening?" Chuck asked between bites of food.

"No, not really. Brought up some old memories I had buried, but basically I think we both wiped out about 5 minutes after we got to the room. It's so peaceful in this house and quiet."

"Ya, the logs do quite a job insulating the house from the ranch noise and dirt and from all kinds of weather. One of my best decisions." Chuck admitted. "Don't think I'd ever go back to a brick and stick building."

"It feels very secure." Slim interjected between his mouthfuls. He was eating as fast as Chuck either due to the close proximity to the man or from excitement to see what the ranch looked like. Jess was putting his away with good intent but still having to put things down slowly and well chewed. It was good he had smaller portions because they all finished about the same time. Slim took twice as much as Jess, but he packed it away with no effort.

"Buggy and horses will be out front at 9. Thought we go look at the cattle first so you can have an image in mind when we get to the talking. Then I'll show you how we have the ranch and pastures set up and why they are positioned according to flow. Everything has a purpose. We'll be back here for lunch and a break if Jess needs one, then this afternoon we can look at pedigrees and paperwork. Sound like a plan?" Chuck asked.

"Works for me." Slim chimed and he looked at Jess who had stopped eating and was staring at his biscuit. "Jess?" there was no answer. "Jess!" Chuck and Lady W looked at Jess and stopped eating too.

Lady W was ready to stand up and inspect Jess up close to see if he was choking, but just as she started to stand, Jess slowly turned toward her and raised the biscuit in his hand.

"Do you make these preserves yourself?" He asked with his mouth half full.

"Yes, I do. I brought some peach seeds from Texas when we moved here and have been pampering them because they have a particular flavor I love. I only get a few bushels a year from the 5 trees that have survived and I put them up in preserves."

"And she hordes them, 's more like it. Only uses them when special company comes. I could fall into the jar and eat my way out of them, but she hides them from me and rations them." Chuck bustled, chuckling.

"Is there something wrong?"

Slim was munching and eating his last bites with the same peach preserves but while they tasted great to him, he was otherwise clueless.

Jess began fighting tears and reverently finished his mouthful of biscuit and his table manners evaporated in a moment of retreat into boyhood. He cleaned his coffee spoon off on his napkin and then reached into the bowl and took out a spoonful and put it in his mouth and let it dissolve. Chuck, Lady W and Slim looked at each other and shrugged. Jess picked up the entire bowl holding all the 4 different jams and looked longingly into the peach section as though looking deeply into the eyes of his soul mate, but saw it half gone. Lady W could see him fighting to maintain some level of dignity, fighting tears back.

"You can finish it, Jess. That was the end of a jar and I can open more." She was concerned.

"Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Go ahead. Shall I get the other jar?"

"No." Jess mumbled quickly swallowing and dipping his spoon into the bowl and scooping it onto his plate. His mouth said no but his heart was screaming yes. He placed the last spoonful from the bowl in his mouth and pulled it out being extra careful to not lose any droplet.

She went to the kitchen and got a fresh jar anyway and sat down handing it to Jess. He took it like it was a bar of gold and one sight of the label, his eyes became extremely moist and he closed them and brought the jar to his chest and held it tight, his head bowed. He looked over at Slim with a pleading gaze and then back to the label. Slim frowned lightly. Chuck was frozen not knowing what to do.

Jess finally got some composure and started speaking quietly in his low baritone voice staring into his last spoonful that was on his plate.

"It's got cloves in it doesn't it?

"How did you know my secret ingredient?" Lady W's eyes were instantly sparkling with sudden alertness and curiosity, but mostly delight.

Jess swallowed and took a sip of milk laden coffee,

"I.. a was just a kid…. on those, you know….big church dinner days ya get dragged to… used to sneak into the kitchen just to find all of these I could and take them outside behind the trees and eat it straight out of the jar. Then one day I heard my mom discussing the recipe with her girlfriend and talking about using cloves. I'm clueless what a clove is, but I couldn't get enough of the taste of this jelly. My mom was telling her girlfriend how she couldn't use cloves anymore for cooking because Francie's throat would swell up and she couldn't breathe any time she could even smell a clove. So she was giving the recipe to her girlfriend. That's how I knew how to find them at the church and then fairs. Anytime I saw this label marked "peaches," I knew I had to grab them."

Jess ended up looking at Lady W, a little boy written all over him being fiercely held down by the life-hardened man who was not winning.

"Just one moment, Jess." She held up a finger, disappeared into the kitchen and came right back, and again seated, she handed him an old crinkled edge piece of paper with handwriting on it.

"Here, Jess," She gently said.

His hand began trembling as he took the piece of paper without reading it because he recognized the handwriting. On the verge of a complete dam break of sobbing, Jess' voice wobbled, his eyes never leaving the page he mumbled,

"That's … my mom's ….writing!"

Lady W got up and wrapped her arm around Jess' shoulders in a motherly way trying to steady and comfort what was hurting.

Jess' voice wasn't loud but as he spoke it changed more into a disconnected monotone very similar to calling out an opponent in a gunfight and his eyes hardened as he retreated into the heavily guarded room of memories.

"There wasn't anything of hers left in the rubble after the Bannister gang burned everything down. I looked but it was all gone except my dad's burnt gun. I have nothing of hers."

The life-hardened man was pulling in all emotions tight again while staring at the piece of paper. The trembling in his hand could not be hid, though, and he was still hugging the jar of preserves.

Trying hard to not be obvious, Slim licked the preserves off his remaining bite of biscuit for a pure taste and raised his eyebrows.

"Jess was telling me last night before we zonked out how he was closer to his mother than his father and some of the difficulties he went through because of the problems his parents had as their marriage decayed. When he was 7 he tried to save her from his dad and it nearly ended his life."

Slim looked nervously at Chuck who looked back at Slim and murmured under his breath with a gripped fist.

"I knew that no good son of a b….. would …..him. It's a darn miracle he wasn't ruined."

"Or killed," Slim whispered back.

Lady W glared slightly at the whispers then turned back to Jess in a motherly way,

"You can have the recipe, Jess. Please accept it."

Jess sucked in some air and frowned,

"Oh, no, Ma'am she gave it to you. I couldn't possibly."

"I have it so memorized by now, Jess, I could sit right here and write it from memory. Go ahead, it's yours."

She patted his hand lightly that was holding the paper and stood back up.

"Are you sure?" Then he offered it back to her, "Maybe you should copy it down first."

"I can do that today while you men are studying cows, if that makes you feel better, and you take that jar with you. I'll have more ready by the time you leave for home."

Chuck was still angry and hit his fist on the table, "Daggone it!" He stood up suddenly but trying to control his temper nearly knocked the chair over and had to turn to catch it making a huge noise. "You men about ready?"

Like he'd been hit with a 20,000 volt of electricity through the bottom of his chair Jess jerked in his seat quickly focusing on Chuck at the rising rage in an older man, "Yes, Sir!" ready to run inside forgetting his body was barely able to move. The wobbling piece of paper in his trembling hand fell silently to the table.

Slim frowned and quickly moved to divert Jess' instinctive response by standing slowly and steady purposefully leaning across the table into Jess' sight line. The milk on an empty stomach earlier in the bedroom had gone straight through.

"I'm going to need to um… go down the hall, then I'll be ready. Jess?" Jess nodded. "We'll meet you out front, say 5-10 minutes?"

Chuck nodded trying to simmer down having noticed Jess jump.

"Sounds fine. Momma, we should be back for lunch 11:30 – 12." He walked over and kissed her in a publically honorable way and she easily met him.

"We'll be ready Poppa."

"Thank you for a wonderful breakfast." He smooched her again and left the room cursing under his breath.

Slim was helping Jess get to the crutches but they noticed the exchange. To crutch took two hands so Slim held out his to take the jelly jar. At first Jess looked at his hand wondering why it was in front of him, then remembered the crutches and looking back and forth from the jar to the crutch in his hand finally, with reluctance and hesitation relinquished the jar to Slim.

CHAPTER: 9 The Master Plays Poker

Slim had added his chaps and both met Chuck and Jr at the front rail and as they greeted Jr and then loaded as Slim covertly checked the rig and his saddle tightness finding everything in order. Chuck offered to enter the buggy and Jess easily shifted over and Slim attached the leg sling and then Jr and Slim mounted their horses.

"Jr, lead the way." Jr took off with Slim beside him, Jess followed in the buggy. "Sure do admire that bay of yours, Slim." Chuck opened. "I've got a string of quarter horses that Jr and I are developing set up down in the Barn 3 zone. Got a stud down there I think you men would enjoy looking over. Right now he's standing at stud and I'll give you a discount next spring if you have any mares you'd like covered."
"I'd like to see him, Chuck." Slim was interested in any horse flesh. "I don't own any mares right now. With the stage line, we keep mostly to the geldings. What's the going rate now for a stud fee these days? You indicated you have several investment areas. Is that something you can make a lot of money from in these parts?"

"Anywhere there is cattle business, good, sound quarter horses are a staple commodity, like sugar and flour are to a meal. Good producing stud'll bring several hundred dollars a stand, give or take the size of the ranch. I make it a point to not strip money from the smaller rancher. It's more proportional to the need. I've gotten up to $1000 for my stud. Jr's riding one of his early offspring. It's also a good way to build a solid remuda for trail drives. Every animal on the place pulls his own weight and keep. No free rides, right Jr?"

"Right, Dad." Jr was open and friendly, didn't seem at all anxious about a new drive starting at 4am the next day.

"I looked over your remuda on the drive, Chuck. Rode a few. Didn't see a bad one in the lot. Are they all off this one stud?" Jess offered.

"Well, I do a line breeding with the horses same as the cattle." Chuck began. "Started with one stud from one set of genes and 3 mares from 3 other sets. Got 2 fillies and 1 colt. Took the 2 fillies to a different stud a friend owned and got two more fillies. Took the 1st colt to the 3rd set of fillies. Ever braid your horse's tails?"

"Sure, done some lariats, too." Slim replied.

"Well, it's much like braiding. You don't take the father to the daughters, but to grand daughters and then bring in a fresh stud to set apart the generations. If you can own the two studs, or bulls, then you don't need to do the stud fees. What you look for is the physical characteristic you're trying to continue and strengthen it with each generation. The offspring that are weak in characteristic, or that aren't fertile, or in the cattle, need help calving, you sell off. You keep the strong ones, those that breed early and drop unassisted, keep and rebreed them for more." They arrived at the pens containing the two offered cattle. "Here we are. Pull over Jess."

Jess pulled over and parked, Slim and Jr dismounted and tied theirs. The fence the bulls were in were as tall as Jess and made from pole fencing. The heifers were in two side lots on either side that were partial pasture and most of the other heifers were back further in pen pastures behind that.

"Slim we need to get Jess up top the poles so he can see. Jr. grab hold somewhere." Jr and Slim helped Jess by lifting him to the top of the pole fencing, laying the crutches back in the buggy and Jess held on with his left hand.

Chuck was already out of the buggy and crawled up on top the fence. Jr was very careful, following Slim's lead where to touch Jess, talked quietly to Jess but Slim could hear him.

"Sure hate to see you all banged up, Jess. Nobody sits a horse like you. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Making it, Jr. thanks. Your folks are wonderful people, making this easy on me."

"How long till you ride again?"

"Six weeks, if I obey the rules."

"He'll be riding before long, Jr. One thing about Jess, nothing stops him when he gets something in his mind." Slim offered.

"Ya I noticed that early in the drive. Wish I could hire him direct, Slim. You two ever part, I'm first in line, Jess."

"Oh, hell will freeze over first, Jr., he's not getting away from me." Slim assured him.

"Ok, you two, let's keep our minds on the bull we came to look at." Chuck laughed at them whacking Jess on the back then quickly resteadying him on the fence. Slim and Jr settled in beside Jess who became propped between Chuck and Slim. Jess was too busy already looking over the two bulls in the pens next to each other and on either side.

"Take your time, Jess, Slim. Which bull do you like best?" Chuck was baiting them to see what they would notice.

"Wow." Slim raised his eyebrows surveying the magnificent specimens of beef up close. "You're right, Jess. That's a real bull. And these are the heifers?" Slim waved indicating the two pens beside the bull pens.

"Yes. They're covered and due early in January when you want them to drop, and the cows these heifers came from have always dropped unassisted."

"Is each group of heifers covered by these bulls?" Jess asked still studying them.

"No. They're covered by their granddad so you can take what they drop straight to these bulls next spring. Don't know what breed you have, Slim, but you take the heifers that drop off these to your bull for two years and sell them. Then you can start rebreeding back to these bulls with the second year crop."

"What would be the price of the second set and can these two sets be crossed?" Jess asked.

"They can go to either bull. The bulls are half-brothers, but after that, you need to rotate them. Then in your third year, you can take them to next spring's best bull. You follow the pattern?"

Slim nodded and Jess said, "Ya. I'm getting it. How much pasture would this group need?

Jr opted in, "Up to 3 years old, one bull can cover 20-25 cows, over that age, they can handle 50-60. They don't need any more pasture than you have. If they start to fade, you can rotate to another pasture or drop in some hay. Closer to fall, the covered heifers will need grain supplement and I can show you what we use when we get to the barns."

Jess repeated his question, "How much for the second group?"

"You or Slim, either one, kinda depends on the lease pasture deal we can work out."

"How much liquid capital would you recommend for a herd this size, per year." Jess was picking a mentor's brain for knowledge. Chuck was grinning ear to ear.

"Well you need to put back enough for feed and vet cost for your supply region, and make your grain dealer give you a discount at a certain quantity. I don't know what you pay over there, so you have to research that. The pastures need good fencing and wranglers to monitor them. Cattle are the dumbest creatures, and they plan their day looking for ways to get into trouble. So plan for that. Which group do you like best and why, Jess?"

"This bull looks a little small, throws me leaning to this other one, and the heifers look pretty close."

"This small bull is about 5 months younger and he's verging on his last growth spurt. Each heifer sets are half sisters, so they should be close to identical, but they have the best size to weight balance of the crop we got this year. Good eye, Jess. What about you, Slim? Which do you like and are you in on the stock?"

"I like this younger bull, at 5 months younger he should pass his brother by next year, the heifers all look equal. But I've got my hands full right now with the stage line and my land. I'm very interested in leasing the pasture if I can get fencing up as quickly as you need it. Also the ranch adjoining mine just went up for sale and I'd rather grab that if I can swing it. It's all good pasture with a spring lake that feeds it. Might not quite make that, though, it just went up and I need to talk with my banker."

"How many acres you have, Slim?"

"I inherited five sections from my dad, but it's not all improved yet. We were going to work it together but the war came and he died before I got home. I have ½ section in bottom land and lake and right now I have one bull and about 300 cows on the other ½ section Jess has helped me get started. The land for sale has 15 sections, with only one small line shack on it, one section in bottom land. Haven't asked about the price, it just went up the day Jess was injured. I've had my eye one it for 5 years. Then there's another ranch south off that one the owner's not doing too well, could go up in the next year or so. That one has 10 sections, more pasture. "

"What kind of terrain?" Jr asked.

"Most of it is beautiful rolling pasture, nice feeder streams, maybe 20-30% timber which I'd leave as shelter for the cattle. Could parcel part of that off for horse breeding."

"Daggone, Jr. Sounds exactly like what we need." Chuck got suddenly very serious. "Can you swing that much land financially, Slim?"

"Probably not, my dreams are always bigger than my bank account. But the stage business won't last forever with the railroads coming and I figure land is a top priority for investment in future business. More a gut feeling with a dash of urgency."

"You're darn right. Heck, I could fill up 7 of those sections right now on pasture that much land give or take. Some of that land might be used for hay that could be bailed for winter. You find out the price, Slim and contact me immediately. Don't do the deal yourself, just get me a starting price and the seller's agent. Jr can run over there and take a gander with you on the quiet, then I have a land attorney works deals like a, well he can squeeze blood from a turnip, if you know what I mean and do it anonymously so nobody gets greedy. If you agree, I'd like to underwrite your purchase instead of the bank and I'd own it with an opt out clause to sell to you first over time as your finances improve off the lease of your current pasture and the split we make on the sale of the stock you pasture for me. If I own it first, it's my capital to improve and fence it, and I have the wranglers who can put in the fence. That way we can keep the springing cows here where we can help them as needed, I have a vet on contract, lives an hour away. We can put the sale stock on your land. Jess can have his pick and I'll throw in this second pull out group here as co-owned between you two in partnership and as earnest of our agreement as a foursome on any expansion land. Jr and I can help you pick out replacements from each crop that comes in and we can rotate them according to pedigrees. How can I convince you to come in on this, Slim?"

Jess was grinning ear to ear but looking down his lips pursed together tightly knowing this was the poker game of his lifetime. He was listening to a beyond-master businessman working his own poker game of land, cattle and business but at a brilliant level far above his. They were talking thousands of dollars in business enterprise as though it were a casual game played with dry beans and Chuck was giving both Jess and Slim the dignity deserving well aged and proven cattle ranchers. He didn't have to see Slim's face, he could feel Slim's body quivering in excitement.

Slim bumped Jess' thigh gently, quietly, "What do you think, Jess?" He was sincere.

Jess dropped to a half grin but with a completely innocent face looked at Chuck.

"Me? You're the boss, Slim."

Then he grinned at Slim answering him with his eyes and went silent, but bumped Chuck's leg covertly and then looked over at Jr behind Slim and winked. It was partially Jess' poker game, too, and raise or fold, it was Slim's turn to show his hand.

Slim quickly spoke, "It's a deal, with one condition."

Chuck was happy. "Name it."

"Have your attorney draw up papers to make Jess and me legal partners in my land, the expansion land and the cattle profits from the pasture lease. I'll pay the attorney fee for that document."

"And the shared ownership in these two pull out groups, in perpetchewy…something." Jess added.

"Perpetuity." Slim finished for him.

Jess quickly threw a thumb over at Slim's direction. "Yah….Slim knows all the big words."
"Jr?" Chuck chucked at Jess, but asked his son and foreman.

"I'm more than happy, Dad." Jr smiled broadly. "Anything to get into business with Jess. And Slim."

"One more condition, Chuck." Jess looked at Slim and then Chuck.

"Go ahead." Chuck was not sure where Jess was headed, but was curious to find out.

"In the papers between Slim and me, have the attorney make it where neither of us can sell out our share to anyone without a year cool off period and yourself as third party binding negotiation. The only exception to the year cool off time would be medical emergency but still with your binding negotiation, and Jr as your backup if…well you know…you're not available anymore."

"You have doubts about Slim?" Chuck frowned.

"Slim? Oh, heck no! Slim's the one who put me on this fence today with this kind of opportunity and I trust him with my life. It's the world I don't trust and anybody else who might try to force us apart by say some sort of hostage negotiation, poker game or any other forced manipulation. Seen that happen one time between brothers on a lost gamble and it nearly killed both of them, inside, ya know, where you live. I don't want nothing I'm not aware of from my past creeping up on him making him sell out, especially inherited from my dad's crap I never had knowledge or connection. I have no clue if my dad owned or owed anything, but I am his only remaining heir and I don't want even his debts or liabilities in any way touching this opportunity or jumping over and dragging Slim's holdings down or forcing me out either. Surely your attorney has legal words to cover me there. See Slim and me aren't blood related and I don't want no loopholes where someone could force us apart."

Slim interjected, "We both put each other here today, Jess. I'da never been here without you either. You and your social networking."

Chuck shook his head exchanging looks with Slim and then Jr behind Slim, putting his hand on Jess' back. "I told you this man would surpass us…always looking around to the surrounding arena for danger. I think my attorney will line something up in a trust ownership with you and Slim as executors. Ok, then, it's a deal." He put his hand out and everyone took turns shaking. Jess and Slim were the last to shake and they held their shake, looking deeply into each other's face with strong emotion…and then Slim caught Jess' wobbly.

"Slim, if you haven't already, you'll soon discover that half of any business success is networking with other resources. That's the whole core of this morning's progress. A team pulls a whole lot more weight than a single horse and you need someone in your pocket who can handle the people end."

"'er, see Slim. I may not do all the hands on physical you want me too, but I'm busy working at other chores. People can be the dirtiest part of business or the best. Met both kinds. Chuck and Jr here are the best kind. Ol' Slim was riding me for having gotten into Jr's poker game while he loaded fence supplies."

"He's right, Slim." Chuck agreed.

"Ya, I'm beginning to see how that works. Been a painful lesson." Slim agreed. "Let's get him off this fence…he's not got a lot of bum to sit on." Jr jumped down to catch and Slim helped from the fence still hanging onto Jess. Chuck jumped down by himself. This time they carried Jess to the buggy and pitched the crutches in back and Jess groaned under his breath in relief.

"We'll go over the pedigree instruction and the way I manage the branding and tagging to keep track of these cattle this afternoon at the house. Jr can get both breakout groups ready for after the drive assuming you have fenced pasture for them right away. He's already got their tag numbers and brands listed out so's we can keep them grouped."

"I've got a couple small pastures I could use right away, but with Jess on the sideline and facing surgery, I won't have enough fencing up for anything larger, or for monitoring. I'll take them right away but would be better if we could wait a month. I just don't know what your wrangler schedule is." Slim advised while hooking Jess' leg sling up.

Jr offered, "We get back from the drive, Dad, the wranglers will be on down time for several weeks. We could go by Slim's place with some supplies and put 30 or so of them on a chuck wagon put fencing in for him on his place. I could help him go over his property to help advise how to set up sections of holding pastures and pens, and we could go look at the neighbor's 15 sections. IF it would help. I don't want to step over anyone's boundaries, just offering."

"Jr's minor degree in college was in land engineering. He can part and parcel land like you wouldn't believe, including drainage levees and irrigation channels. He can read agriculture feeding pastures and hay fields and estimate their yields. It's like a romp in the pasture for him…gets a huge kick out of it. Rearranged most of this ranch into one smooth operation." Chuck offered. "Wranglers working here quickly get side training and experience in construction. It's how all this got built, during our down times."

"I'd like to see that, Slim. Get some working flow to your land, 'stead of just a highway. Maybe the fences would stay up longer." Jess interjected.

"So would I. Are you sure you can spare that many men? I don't have much to pay them with, but we can feed them." Slim was beginning to get overwhelmed.

"I've got some cash, Slim, remember? We can always butcher one of your beef to feed them."

"One of OUR beef." Slim corrected and Jess smiled.

"Jr's fences never come down. Ready to see our horses, Slim?" Chuck asked, then not waiting for an answer and got himself set up in the buggy with Jess. "Lead off Jr. Let's go the scenic route so they can see the place."

On the way, just in front of them a disturbance happened in one of the holding pens of the cattle prepared to leave in the drive, a gate came open and they started pouring through it. Jess pulled up, sucking in air trying hard to not jump out of the buggy by instinct to nab them. Jr and Slim simultaneously kicked their horses into gear and as a team and without having to talk out a plan Slim and Jr rounded up the loose group and neatly dropped them back in their holding pen, where one wrangler in the pen had regained control of the gate. It just happened that Slim was on the visible side to the buggy and Chuck got a full view of Slim's horsemanship and Jr was watching from his horse matching Slim's moves. Chuck was grinning ear to ear enjoying watching Slim's adeptness. Slim didn't even think about it, had just instantly dove in to help.

Jess whapped Chuck on the knee and pointed Slim's direction, "Eh….see! Horseman!"

Chuck smiled back, "Ya, I'm watching. You're right, Jess, he's great. I can see why you two work so well together…why Jr would be impressed. I'd hire him in an instant, too. You picked well, Jess. I'm thrilled you have someone like him in your life."

"He's the brother I never had, Chuck. I was headed on the wrong path for a cliff of nothing good and he pulled me off and showed me a better option. He's opened a purpose to my life I was never even looking for. I'll never be able to pay him back." Jess spoke from somewhere deep inside.

"He's a good man. I heard about him before you got here, but I confirmed it the minute I laid eyes on him. So opposite your dad. Slim just got to you before I could and I'm happy because he's younger than me and will last longer for you. You picked well, staying with him."

"I um…never knew a healthy father relationship, Chuck, so I don't know how a son should act or live. The last day or two has shown me what that possibility is like, but I have a lot to learn in that regard. Your kids are the luckiest people I know, with you and Lady W and all these resources and a college education; and Slim had a great family and finished school, so he got that foundation I never had. I think that part of him really called to me. I'm not sure I will ever know or trust any 'father' concept in my life, and I'm not sure what your expectations are of me from having known me as a kid. I keep watching Slim and how he goes through life all stable and such, but his dad is gone, too, so I can't watch what's not there anymore as a father son relationship. He got the education I never had and I've learned a whole lot from him."

Chuck was listening realizing he was being allowed to a deeper area of Jess' privacy and respected the honesty. "All I know, Jess, it takes time to learn life. I'm not an expert yet, but what I have got, is available to you and to Slim as he wants it. I have no other expectations from you but to be honest with me and with yourself and just be who you are. Life is the school room and you've had to learn things college kids never face. That's valuable, too. We can build you …from there. I know there's a good man inside you which is what I saw when you were 5, and you've done an amazing job turning yourself out so far especially considering the obstacles you've had to overcome just to merely survive life."

Slim and Jr came back to the buggy sliding to a stop all delighted with their success and the fun of it. Slim didn't hear everything, but a few words, leaned on his saddle horn smiling, "That's two things Jess does best. Honesty and being himself." They turned around and continued around the ranch.

Chuck added, "He's a fair judge of character and horsemanship, too, Slim. Pretty nifty riding there. Are you sure you're not from Texas?"

Slim was curious, "Why Texas?"

Jr added, "Texans ride before they can walk, Slim. I'd love to watch you and Jess handle a herd together. Be pure poetry, right Dad?"

"'at's right, Son. A thing of pure beauty."

"Well, the work's just beginning. I'm sure you'll see it sometime in the future. Jess and I cut a mean trail, the two of us on any herd. We get 'er done, right Jess?" He could see the beads of sweat from pain he was hiding showing up on Jess' upper lip again and his face was getting whiter. But they had arrived at the stud pen and Slim stayed on Alamo to see over the tall fence thinking this would be a short visit. Inside the small arena was a gorgeous solid bay Quarter Horse stud munching on some hay in a feeder attached to the fence. The stud was perfectly groomed and clean, looked like he'd never worked a day in his life. Jess pulled up to the fence as tight as he could but still couldn't see over it and began trying to untangle his foot from the sling. He was having some trouble so Slim got down and cleared his foot and helped him to the fence. Jr jumped down and they lifted Jess to the top pole and everyone repeated the bull pen by sitting on the fence.

"Now that's an animal." Slim was impressed, but quickly his eye's gaze went beyond the nearby stud to the next pen containing another stud that was also a bay, but had four white socks, a star and a snip over the muzzle, coal black mane and tail. This horse was obviously younger and leaner, also munching hay, but looking off at something in the distance and sniffing the air with his muzzle raised.

Jess got settled and looked at Slim seeing him look at the second colt and followed his gaze, raised his eyebrows. "I dunno, Slim, that one's got a special look." Jess offered being actually more impressed with the younger stud's formation.

"Ah-oh." Jr mumbled nudging his dad's ribs and pointing to Slim who was a deer caught in headlights. Chuck saw the look and glanced down shaking his head.

"My fault, son. Should've had you put him in the barn, Jr." he mumbled back. Then to Slim, "Was gunna offer to let you take a turn on my prize stud here, Slim. He's broke good and can put a flush on your face."

He received no response from Slim and Jess looked down grinning from the corner of his mouth out of Chuck's sight. "He don't even look that way at the pretty girls." Jess teased, knocking Slim in the ribs. "Hey, Slim! Somebody's speaking at you."

"Huh?"

Chuck looked over his shoulder at Jr. "Better go throw a saddle on Buck, Jr."

"You sure you want to go through with this, Dad?"

"Ya, we got another one to drop next year, same mix. Might like the color better, not so flashy, and get a filly."

"Ok." Jr disappeared briefly and came back with a saddle, blanket and bridle. He walked up to Buck and standing free, was able to bridle and saddle him without even a twitch from Buck. He circled Buck and then took a final tug on the cinch before leading him to the gate to an adjoining pasture pen on the other side of Buck's pen.

Jess' whapped Slim on the arm,

"Hey, Slim, help me down" and waved in the direction Buck was headed. Slim felt Jess start to move which was the only thing that could wake him out of his stupor and he latched onto Jess' clothing just as Jess started to slip and fall off the tall fence. Jess forgot his legs weren't working and had to reach and grab the pole fencing with his right arm which jerked and stretched it until Slim caught some clothing. In the process he also stretched both legs and both a gasp and a deep groan escaped. It was a severe enough jerk had the braces not been on his legs, Jess would have reinjured both legs back to their original break.

"Don't get any bright ideas, Jess. You're not getting near… that.. horse'll knock you over."

Slim and Chuck helped Jess down and Jess again groaned low had to bend over with his head bowed for a few moments to deal with a deep spasm of pain trying to seize into a cramp from inside connecting the low back bruise through his pelvic cavity and down the hamstring of his left leg to his overactive knee. Then he slowly mostly straightened and crutched over to the pen Buck was in. Jess was groaning with every step from the jerk that rippled through him almost falling off the fence, now paying in pain for forgetting about his injuries for just a second in the excitement about the magnificent stud and moving too fast. Jr mounted Buck and shot him across the pen and brought him back, then retightened the cinch. Slim was barely watching Jess, his eyes glued to Buck.

Jess chuckled and spoke to Chuck, "Good thing I'm busted up, or Slim'd throw me to the ground to get in that pen first."

"I see that, Jess. You remind me of a rodeo friend I had back in the day, couldn't stay off the bull riding. Met that one bull with his name on it and messed himself up, had to retire."

They barely got Jess re-parked on the new fence when Slim leaned on the fence gawking at Buck now standing at attention at Jr's side with his mouth empty of the hay and his mind on the humans. Jr held out the reins toward Slim and waved them slightly up and down.

"Buck's the direct son to dad's standing stud. Best one he's throwed to date."

Slim saw the offered reins and shook his head declining. "Oh, no, I can't. He's a beauty, though. What is he about 3?"

"Exactly 3, 2 months ago. Came from my best mare. She drops gorgeous colts. Just wish I could get some fillies from her. Go ahead, Slim. Never get another chance. Once in a lifetime colt."

"Go ahead, Slim. If not for yourself, take a sacrifice turn for me." Jess encouraged. It wasn't often he'd seen Slim so enraptured by anything two or four legged and he was aching to have taken a test drive.

"Well, ok. Just for you Jess. I know how much that buggy's killing ya." Slim said not needing much convincing, his eyes still not off watching Buck. Jess smiled at Chuck who grinned back.

Slim and Jr were about the same height, so Slim left the stirrup length alone and walked respectfully to the stallion who sniffed and lipped his offered hand expecting sugar cubes and Slim assumed this colt was slightly spoiled. Slim walked around him inspecting a perfectly formed horse, his hand trailing along on the horse lightly touching his coat. The horse snorted softly at the tickle but otherwise stood still obediently waiting.

"You break this one, Jr.?" Jess hollered.

"Ya. He's spirited, but smart. Didn't take much. Handled him every day since he foaled." Jr replied finally able to hand off the reins to Slim and join the other two on the fence.

Slim softly gathered the reins and gently stepped into the stirrup while watching Buck's face for any symptom of stallion chicanery, but barely got a twitched ear.

"He's broke, Slim. Soft mouth. Easy on those spurs, though, he's a cannon." Jr called softly.

Slim nodded and eased in the saddle some and gently applied leg pressure without the spurs and the stallion moved forward into a smart walk eagerly anticipating the desires of his rider and any new adventures they would bring.

"Shows smart, Jr. Good man will respect a stallion."

"Oh, Slim's got very good hands, gentle and a strong seat. Of course anyone with those legs, can handle any horse easy." Jess tried to reassure them. "You work him with cattle yet?"

Jr responded, "Ya, duck to water. Head or heel, cut. He's a Quarter Horse all right, owns the cattle."

Slim relaxed more and gently nudged the stallion in a good gallop and off into the pasture they went like a hand in glove made for each other. Slim stopped the stallion at the far fence about ¼ mile away facing away from the viewing gallery and wiped his eyes off on his shoulder….tears were escaping and only Jess could read it. The other two thought Slim was wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Slim was working on my wire gashes a few days ago before we took off on this trip. He told me about his first colt when he was a kid. As a weanling the colt'd gotten tangled into a barbed wire fence in a blizzard and when he and his dad found the colt, he was half frozen and half bleed to death. His dad made him put the colt down since part of the ownership was that kind of decision and it cut him up inside. Because he'd been driving in my accident, Daisy was making him clean up my gashes and his hands were trembling so hard and they were so cold I was worried. But he did fine, got a very nice touch and believe me, the area of me he was working I wouldn't trust to nobody else but him."

"Why did she make him?" Chuck was very concerned.

"Well, she had been standing close by but out of sight and I think she heard him talk about the colt, but later they were talking and he asked her that question. She told him that because she knew how Slim carries responsibility so seriously, that he was injured, too, in this same accident and needed to be a part of my mending process in order to heal himself."

"Smart woman."

"Ya, she was a nurse in a field hospital during the war. Wonderful person."

Slim turned the stallion and nudged him into action, this time coming back Slim wove him around feeling his action, dropped the reins loose and tried out the leg only steering side to side, swiveling and dancing and then with the reins in control kicked him into speed charging their near fence, and pulled him to a stop. Buck planted his hind feet and skid with his bum under him plowing a decent 6-7' trough seeming proud of his self and Slim smiled imperceptibly.

"What do you think, Jr?" Chuck asked.

"I still want a filly, Dad."

"You sure?"

"Yes Sir. I know Buck will be appreciated and well cared for. That's what's important. We have a stud."

"You do it, Son. He's your horse." Chuck assigned.

Slim dismounted, patting Buck on the neck and walked to Jr handing the reins back.

"You got every right to be proud of him. You're right, Chuck, one in a lifetime."

"That was a short ride for me, Slim." Jess teased again. Slim tilted his head, "Sorry cowboy. Have to take him in small doses. Too easy to settle in, ride him all day and not wear out."

"He's yours, Slim." Jr easily offered.

"Oh, no, Jr. I couldn't. I can tell he's your horse, 'sides I don't have a stud pen." Slim objected.

"He's so gentle you don't need one, Slim. Didn't you say you had nothing but geldings? Anyway, we got another colt this year and I'm holding out for a filly, next winter on the same pairing. We don't need three studs and he's just eating profit."

"Well, at least let me buy him. You've put a lot of work in on him. What's your price?"

"How about one dollar and an option to get a service from him next spring on a couple mares if I don't get a filly? Maybe he'll throw fillies." Jr offered.

Jess was grinning and watching Slim stew and gently nudged. "Hurry up, Slim, my bum's screaming."

"You and your ….. All right, Jr. I can keep him next to the barn and see if he'll settle in with the ranch. It's not as plush as he's used to here, but he'll be well fed and loved. It'll give Alamo a day off, too, every so often and he's earned that." Slim stuck his hand out and Jr met him as they both grinned at each other. "You can come ride him whenever you get time off, if I can keep Jess off him."

"He's all yours, Slim." Jess reached for the fence and grimacing while beginning to extract himself from the metal seat and Slim handed the reins to Chuck through the fence while he and Jr plucked Jess off the fence and got him into the buggy. Jess grabbed his left knee trying to keep it from moving and fully inciting a complete hamstring cramp.

Chuck handed the reins back to Jr after he crawled back into the pen and began walking the stud colt back to the barn for unsaddling. "You coming to the house for lunch, son?"

"Love to, Dad, but Bessy's got lunch waiting, I want to spend all the time I have with Buddy and need to wrap up the last few details for tomorrow. You want to take Buck with you, Slim, while I'm gone, go ahead. Dad'll send his papers later."

"Why don't you take him on the drive for one more ride and then drop him when you bring the cattle and do the fence. I'll have Jess back at the house and the fence shored up by then for him. He's a lot more horse than those stage haulers we board." Slim offered.

Jr smiled and pointed a finger at Slim, "I can do that, thanks, Slim. Will miss you Jess on this drive, so get well! I'll have Larry come get the horse and buggy at the house, Dad." Chuck waved an affirmative and smiled proudly at his son.

"Be safe, Jr. See ya!" Jess yelled back as Jr disappeared into the barn.

"Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, Chuck." Slim said looking at Chuck smiling as his son disappeared.

"Ah, yes. But that Buddy of his. Kid's a pistol. Takes after Bessy." Chuck was rubbing his chest proudly, then boarded the buggy next to Jess. "You 'bout ready for a break, son?"

"Yes, Sir. Talked me into it." Jess slapped the reins and the buggy gently moved forward as Slim mounted Alamo. They could see the house and the road led right to the hitching post.

"You know, Jess, you're a pretty good driver, too. I suppose they put you on some of those stagecoach runs, huh?"

"Yes, Sir, mostly back up when a driver gets sick, or as shotgun when we have an order for money transport."

CHAPTER: 10 Time out

Lunch was a quieter affair, very casual yet elegant picnic theme over a red and white square patterned table cloth with matching napkins. Lady W had prepared potato salad and roast beef sandwiches made with homemade bread, cheese slices, home canned pickles and lettuce leaves, lemonade and coffee and it was ready at 11:30 on the dot. The minute she saw Jess come through the door slightly bent forward she became concerned and in greeting him, covertly touched his face checking his temperature finding him very cool on a warm day. His upper lip was dewy again and he was pale.

"You're going right to bed, Jess, after lunch, or I'll…..have Slim sit on you." She admonished in a tender voice. She started to direct him to the table but he angled toward the hall.

"Let me wash the cattle and horses off my hands, huh? Be right there, Ma'am." His voice was soft but very deep and low. Slim assisted him down the hall and they both took a break at the bathroom.

After they'd gone from sight she put her hands squarely on her hips and glared at Chuck.

"I know Momma. I was watching like I promised to. We kept it to a minimum and cut things short, but a whole lot got done." He grabbed her hands in his and brought her to his chest in gleefulness, "He's every bit the man I knew he could grow into, just stuns me how he's kept from being completely ruined by that man. You should have seen him out there! His mind was miles ahead of us, his vision broader than the pens we were dealing with and by gum, inexperienced or not, he had me pegged while I was doing business with Slim, who's no slouch either. You could just feel him soaking up the new information and technique I was using, knew when to hold his silence, and still giving both me and Slim full support AND freedom to make deals. I was so right about what I saw in him as a 5 year old! Shudders me to think how much farther down the road he'd be today had I gotten ahold of him at 5. I could just…"

Chuck was becoming emotionally attached as a father, beyond his mental ascent, and he wrapped his arms around her in a complete hug.

"I know, Poppa. You've always loved him like a son. I understand because I know how his mother felt and I feel it, too."

"I know you do, Momma. He's a good boy. I'm so glad he found Slim. Or Slim found him. They are so good for each other. Like Jr said, we'd love to see Slim and Jess as a team handle a section of cattle with each other. It'd be pure music."

Chuck released his hug but held onto one hand and became animated with the other one waving down the hall. "Both of them are better horsemen than any hand we've ever have on this place and pushes Jr to his limit, too. I wish you'd a seen Jess on that drive, and you should have seen Slim out there this morning! Tremendous team."

"I see how they operate here, Slim helping Jess. Jess' trust of Slim with his body and injuries. Teamwork and contact between two men like that is rare. You can see the respect they have for each other."

"Ya, Jess hinted at Slim's help with his injuries. Apparently the wire spool got Jess in some very delicate places he only trusts Slim with. Says a whole lot about their trust."

"I'll check with Slim to see how Jess is holding up. Can you teach Slim the cattle stuff so Jess can rest this afternoon?"

"Well, yes, I guess so. Be good for Jess to know this stuff, but I suppose Slim could teach him. Jr is going to take some of the hands out to their ranch after this drive to help Slim and Jess section off their property and build some fences for them to get them up to speed. I can have Jr check on how Jess caught onto the information."

"Remember, Poppa, they have a 3 day drive to get home."

"Ya, I know. It's a day by horseback, longer by roads and wagon. Wonder if anybody'd notice if I kidnapped them?" He teased her.

"Poppa! There will be more trips, and easier ones after Jess heals up. You could always invite them for Thanksgiving and Christmas, you know."

"That's a grand idea, Momma! We'll do that."

"Do what?" Slim asked coming up behind them with Jess in tow.

"We were just talking about inviting you and the rest of your family for Thanksgiving and Christmas here." Lady W explained with radiant eyes and a huge smile. "Wouldn't that be wonderful! We could meet Daisy and your little orphan."

"Mike." Slim offered. "We'll check it out when we get home."

"We also have a big end of round up barbeque in late summer." She was on a roll.

"Momma loves to entertain." Chuck explained.

"Please!" She saw Jess slouching and led the way to the table. Jess couldn't get there fast enough and he landed hard on the chair. This time he couldn't wait until Lady W had been seated, but Slim covered for him, holding her chair and she began passing the serving bowls around. Jess started eating slow due to exhaustion, but the food began quickly being assimilated into his system along with the sugar in the lemonade and he perked up some.

"You sure know how to cook, Ma'am. Some of the most wonderful flavors I've ever tasted. Can't quite nail some of them down, but they're good. I bet you and Ms. Daisy'd have quite a time exchanging recipes. She's got an apple pie that just melts your boots off." Jess offered over a mostly quiet table.

"Thank you, Jess. I do enjoy cooking and baking. Does she sew, too?"
"Ya, some. Mends clothes and makes quilts, but she has someone do the dresses." Slim joined.

"Well, it's pretty hard to do a fitting on yourself." Lady W. admitted. "I have a dress maker in Jewel who can make a gunny sack look like a bridal gown."

Slim nearly choked, "That's something Jess and I try to avoid, Ma'am."

"Gunny sacks or bridal gowns?" She teased.

"Right." Jess was now choking slightly, and pulling on his throat.

"Typical bachelors!" She smiled. "Poppa and I were discussing the afternoon while you two were down the hall. Right, Poppa?" She was giving him a segue way to jump in.

"Right! We were thinking, I could teach Slim about the branding, pedigree and breeding program and all the paperwork I need to document these herds and he could teach Jess when you get back home. Then Jess could grab a rest this afternoon and not wear him out for the trip home you both are facing. Of course, I tried to talk Momma in to letting me kidnap both of you for a longer stay. We've got the business decisions ironed out and know where to go from here. No sense killing us off trying to get the entire load done in half a day."

"I think that's a fine idea. Jess needs the break and I'm more familiar with ranch paperwork than he is anyway." Slim interjected before Jess could swallow his mouthful and protest. He started to open his mouth and debate but was interrupted by an ever watchful Lady W.

"Good, then it's decided. Jess' assignment is to take a nap." Her voice sounded like the decision of someone putting their foot down with no argument accepted.

Jess and Slim looked at each other.

"She even sounds like Ms. Daisy." Slim smiled. "You two would get along great."

Jess startled lightly at a paw touching his aching right leg and looked under the table to find Sasha sniffing him and putting her front paw lightly on his outstretched leg. Slim noticed and looked under the table and saw her supplicating at Jess' feet and smiled, clearing his mouth inhaled to start speaking. Jess saw him smile and looked up over his fork from under raised eyebrows without raising his jaw staring straight into Slim's face as serious as a gunfight stare. In a very low and barely audible voice, said, "Don't" in a threat not to tease him about Sasha's adoration, and he held the look at Slim until Slim yielded by a side nod and a soft, "ok." Slim knew that look all too well and never wanted to be on that end of one with Jess and backed down. Lady W and Chuck looked at each other and frowned lightly wondering what the secret communication was about. The hair on the back of Chuck's neck stood up and he shivered and rubbed the back of his neck, then he caught the suspended look on Jess' face and he raised an eyebrow and looked at Slim, then back to Jess but by then Jess had released Slim. As though nothing had happened, Jess finished chewing his next mouthful and swallowed then in a completely normal voice,

"I think that would be a wise decision. I got parts I didn't know I had that are complaining. Are you sure you don't want me in the training?"

"Oh I want you, but we have time now, and I'm confident Slim will understand my system and can explain it to you when your concentration is freed up some down the road when you get home." Chuck offered, making no attempt to get between what had just happened. "I've always found it hard to learn anything when your body is screaming in pain anyway."

"I can vouch for that." Slim agreed again interjecting before Jess could argue.

Jess was though eating and put his napkin on the table. "In fact, I think I'll head that way now. Ma'am, another wonderful meal. If you will excuse me. Chuck, great morning."

"You're quite welcome, Jess. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Enjoyed it, Jess. We were able to do a lot in a short time. Was a pleasure." Chuck added.

Slim started to get up to help Jess and Jess waved him down, "I got it, Slim, thanks. Stay and enjoy."

Jess managed to wobble his way to the hall and headed for the bedroom, Sasha fell in beside him, her culottes swishing side to side again. Slim watched them disappear down the hall together and hid his smile in his napkin. He got up and watched them make it to the bedroom then retook his seat at the table. Lady W moved to Jess' empty seat across from Slim and put his empty dishes to the side.

"Was there a problem, Slim? I didn't mean to offend him suggesting he wasn't wan…" Chuck started in and Slim interrupted. "No, you're fine. That wasn't it. Not to worry."

"Are you sure?" Lady W inquired.

"You ever face a man in a gunfight, Chuck?" Slim smiled at Lady W. then looked at Chuck.

Chuck lightly slammed his fist on the table. "THAT was what I felt! Daggone, hair on my neck jumped to attention."

"When Jess entered my life, he was well on his way into a gunfighter career and he's faster and more accurate at the draw than anyone I've ever met, and I've seen some well-known gunfighters. From what I've learned here after we retired last evening he got his temper and hair trigger from his dad and his honesty and morality from his mother which keeps him in check. Every fight I've ever seen him in, he's been on the side of truth and justice and he's as honest as the day is long."

"Sounds like his mother side is stronger." Lady W nodded lightly as confirming what she already knew.

"I don't know either of them, Ma'am, but if I had to guess, yes, I believe you're correct. I'd never want to face him in a gunfight, because he's deadly when he's pushed that far and he will go that far to protect the right of the event. He also gets himself into fights and I've seen him take on 5-6 men and hold his own, when it's a fair fight. So he can scrap with the best of them."

"He would have needed that to survive on his own like he has. Worrisome but not surprised." Chuck evaluated.

"Yes, Sir. I believe that, too. He does not enjoy violence but when he arrived on my ranch, he wouldn't back down either. But we've been working on that temper and hair trigger and he listens to my counsel more and more. He's smart and when he finds someone who's true, he's more than loyal."

"Kinda like putting a wild stallion in with an experienced horse. " Chuck mused.

Slim thought for a second, "Ya, I guess you could put it that way. I do know one thing."

"What?" They both said simultaneously.

"I wouldn't want anybody else but him at my back. You can count on him. He's laid down his life for me more times than any friend or family member I have. Those two bullet holes, well, four actually, were supposed to have hit me in the back. I've gotten into predicaments and he's stepped in trying to beat me to the solution and specifically taken on gunfights to protect me. Luckily, I've been able to get there in time and we fought through it together. And, from what I understand, he gets from his mom the trait of knowing no stranger. He's a dadgum friendly puppy who talks to everyone, makes acquaintances and friends; and he's darn good at reading people."

"Sounds like a man you want to know." Chuck offered.

"Yes. But he's not perfect and neither am I. He's a little short on knowing how to express himself and his mind with words and it aggravates him. But he quickly knows the right and goes to work making things happen. The physical labor end is a little short, but both these issues can be well tagged to the lack in lost schooling and social skills and no one mentoring him while he was growing up. He's not afraid of work, he's just never been taught how to break down a project and get it done. Again, developmental missing links. But his heart is solid gold."

"You're obviously a tremendous benefit to him, Slim." Lady W. offered. "I've watched you two operating and it's a remarkable friendship."

"Yes Ma'am. We both fill a void in each other's life and it's mutually beneficial. He'll learn the pedigree information quickly, he's intelligent and picks things up very fast, doesn't take much explaining or repeating. Fact is, I learned he gets bored if it doesn't come as fast as he can handle it, and bored means impatient. Just as true, his concentration is divided right now with the pain."

"How is he doing, by the way?" She asked, sincerely concerned. "Do you need anything?"

"His back wounds have opened some and are seeping clear fluid, we believe from the constant movement and he has a gash in the crook of his leg just off the hip from the barbed wire that the brace is rubbing. It's bruising up underneath and seeping blood from the movement at the hip which this brace is designed to immobilize. So moving pushes against the brace aggravates the gash. There's no cure for that, but not moving in bed until it can fully close and knit. He says the leg still won't take weight and the inner left knee is cramping deeply during the night. He's incredible on horseback and it's killing his spirit to be in a buggy. I do need to get him back home and hog tie him to his bed. I'm going to ask the doc if we can put off the knee surgery for a week until he gets some endurance back. He's a fighter and won't complain about pain. You have to watch him and know how to read him and then force him to pull up, otherwise, he runs himself into the ground."

Slim was beginning to fight off tears knowing the pain Jess was hiding in order to make this deal for the ranch.

"I think what hurts me the most is he wouldn't put this trip off to save himself, knowing the pain it was going to cost him. Down deep I don't think my ranch will make another 3 years to your next pull out group because the stage coach income won't last that long. I believe he reads that, too, and he's making this sacrifice to save the ranch….and me again."

"That explains your decision to legally partner it with him. Except for McKenzie's pa and me, I've never seen two men more compatible, Slim. You both need each other and you each fit each other. It's rare and it's a beautiful thing. I'm very happy for both of you. I don't know any two people I'd rather help more than you both. It's what Momma and I live for." Chuck explained. "Personally, I couldn't be more thrilled not only to have found Jess again, but to actually get close enough to become involved in a way I've been passionate about since I met him when he was 5. What are you, one or two years older?"

"Almost two. I think I'm like you, Chuck. If I'd have ever gotten my hands on his bastard dad, they'd been peeling me off of him. I cannot fathom any father who would throw his 7 year old son through a wall who was just trying to protect his mother. Daggone it! He told me about some things last night I nearly went through the ceiling. He said he also saw the whole Bannister raid and everything he'd ever known burn to the ground. How does that injure a 15 year old whose mother was still trying to keep separate from the father 7 years later?" Slim was so angry trying to control his own temper. His blue eyes were lit with fire. He looked at Lady W in exasperation, "I just can't comprehend what marks these childhood events put on him…inside."

"I know." Chuck stated, just as angry, "So it happened at 7…I wasn't far off."

Lady W was weeping silently into her napkin, which was folded in half neatly and stretched across her mouth.

"He has rough edges, sure, but its plain miracle to me, he's as upright as he is. I've known lessor men who would have gone completely bad." Slim added.

Lady W reached a compassionate hand across the table to Slim's forearm, "I'm sure you've had a lot to do with that, Slim."

Slim covered her hand with his, "I wish you could see him ride a horse, Ma'am. Strange animals come up to him everywhere and tuck their nose in his elbow."

"I will see him ride, Slim. In the future when he's healed up and he'll be an even better equestrian because of this experience. I can guarantee that." She assured him. "He's a very attractive man, are there a lot of women in is life now?

"No one in particular. But they're after him all the time. It rolls off him like water off a duck's back. He treats them all like ladies, even saloon…um…working… well." Slim backed himself into a corner

"I know what you mean, Slim." Lady W assured him.

"Just got a knack with people. Except the bad ones, and he has zero tolerance with them."

Slim seemed to get enough vented he could pull himself back together and patted her hand.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to unload. This whole accident and the trip's events have been a little overwhelming for our simple life up there in the woods. Please don't tell Jess what I've shared. He's very private about his past. It's taken me 4 years just to learn this much." He looked back and forth between them.

"Promise." Lady W crossed her heart with her finger.

"I'll take care of you Slim. He means a lot to me, too. Shall we adjourn to my den where the ranch paperwork is all spread out?"

"Absolutely. Lovely lunch, Ma'am, especially those pickles. Thank you." Slim stood and followed Chuck from the room.

CHAPTER: 11 Tettering

Lady W cleared the table from lunch and set supper cooking in motion and prepared a mid-afternoon snack for Jess. Slim and Chuck were missing for a good hour and half in Chuck's den bent over the desk studying charts and diagrams when Sasha trotted earnestly into the room, right up to Slim's boot and started pawing fervently at his foot. It was strong enough to cause his spurs to ring. Slim immediately felt his stomach fall to the floor but then compensated in logic and reached down to pet her. She immediately ran back to the door of the den looked back at him and whined, her tail was up but not wagging.

"Well, hello Sasha!" Slim looked down as she ran to the door.

"How odd. C'mere, Darlin'" Chuck tried. "She just won't come to me no matter what I try. Cute dog."

Slim looked back to the desk and Sasha repeated her pawing his foot and running to the door. This time Slim knew something was wrong.

"I think she's telling me something's wrong with Jess, Chuck. Maybe you should go get Lady W and meet me at the bedroom." Slim was already moving off and following Sasha.

"Well, ok." Chuck ran into Lady W at the entry to the hall as she was hearing a commotion and came to look. "Better grab your bag, Momma. Might be something with Jess."

She stared down the hall watching Chuck follow Slim and scurried off for her nurse's bag in her bedroom.

Sasha reached the bed first and jumped aboard, running to Jess' hip gash, touched it softly with her nose then laid down at Jess' head. He was stretched out on his left side with pillows, but pulled half into a fetal tuck. The braces were both off and laying on the chair beside the bed and he had pulled the quilt over himself. Slim got there in time to see Sasha's nose touch Jess' hip, but he went to the side of the bed Jess was facing and checked out his face. His face was very ashen, ice cold and he was trembling and his breathing was ragged and uneven, groaning in a low tone with each exhale.

"Jess." Slim called and touched his left hand which was under the quilt. No response. So he called louder and pulled harder on Jess' hand, pulled it from under the quilt and it was ice cold too and still no response from Jess. So Slim tried a third, harder tug and louder call, then a mild shake of his whole body. There was still no response. Chuck was standing at the foot of the bed leaning over Jess' feet and Lady W arrived one minute after Slim had.

"Slim can we get his boots off. Momma will always check that."

"Ya, in a minute. JESS!" Slim was beginning to panic. Jess was normally a light sleeper and any brush on his body always woke him immediately. Now, he was breathing, but it was labored and Slim couldn't get a response. So Slim rolled him slightly onto half of his back and started peeling the quilt and Jess' clothing away to see if he was bleeding anywhere and Lady W climbed aboard the other side of Jess' bed with her bag. Sasha backed up against the headboard with her head on the other side of Jess' head.

"I can't get any response! It's not normal…he's a light sleeper!"

"We'll find out, Slim." Her voice was very calm, "He's breathing that's good. Are you finding any bleeding?"

Slim unbuttoned the front of Jess' shirt to check the stomach wound and it looked dry and still white. "Roll him my direction and check his back, Ma'am" They rolled Jess back onto his left side and she lifted the back part of his shirt to check those wounds and she gasped seeing the blackened bruise at his waist. It had sprung a leak under the skin and had newer reddish bruising in the middle.

"How in heaven's….this bruise, Slim! My stars." She exclaimed. Chuck leaned around and looked and he got suddenly squeamish.

"Ya, we figured the bench on the buckboard whapped him there. He doesn't remember."

She lightly touched the center to feel for heat and Jess sucked in a gasp of pain and arched away from it so hard he nearly rolled out of the bed and Slim had to catch him. His eyes fluttered open briefly without focusing and then closed again. Slim gently positioned him to the left side of his back and Jess' legs flattened out slowly under the quilt. Sasha whimpered softly.

"I barely touched it."

"I was watching. I know."

"If that soft of touch caused that much pain reaction, what is he feeling with just normal movement?" She was incredulous.

"Why is he so cold?" Slim asked. "Is it a fever?"

She reached into her bag and withdrew a thermometer and shook it down. "No, I don't believe so. With a fever there should be clamminess and moisture. He's dry and dehydrated." She reached over, opened Jess' mouth and angled the gauge under his tongue. "Where did you say these gashes were? We need to check them for bleeding."
Slim started drawing them out using his body as the chalkboard and described whether they were shredded patches or gashes, but she didn't wait for the full rundown.

"Let's check the one that was oozing last night." She said waiting for Slim to dive in.

Slim hesitated due to concerns for knowing Jess' concern for modesty and having a female address this area and she read his hesitation.

"Ok, I understand, and here's what we do." Very adeptly and experienced, she flipped the covers back running vertically up Jess' body covering his middle and left side leaving him completely modestly covered. "Slim, you need to unzip and pull this side down to where I can just peek in on his hip." Slim obeyed. Jess felt someone working his zipper and stirred, groaning and tried weakly to interfere with his right hand which was loose from the sling. Slim grabbed his hand and held it back to and along Jess' waist and Lady W, ducked closer to the headboard out of Jess' sightline.

"It's just me, Jess. I'm checking your gash for bleeding."

"Sl…..mm…." Jess murmured from a deep, soft voice. His eyes fluttered open again, but were unfocused and then they closed.

"It's ok, Jess. Just me."

"Ssso…..col…..d." Jess tried to pull his hand free but Slim easily held on firm.

The thermometer fell out and Slim handed it to Lady W. She read it and shook her head whispered, "Below normal. Not a fever."

Jess's left knee raised slightly but it was trembling hard. Otherwise he quieted down again.

Lady W. worked gently but firmly and found the bandaging near the hip and peeked under.

"He's bleeding but I can't tell how much. I need to get to this, or you do, Slim."

"Jess!" Slim wiggled his left shoulder.

"Ssl…."

"I'm going to change your gash's bandage. Just keep sleeping."

"Ccc…..old."

"I'll hurry. I'm gunna pull your boot off, just stay put."

"K"

Slim looked at Chuck, "Ok, I'll have to hold his leg firm, you wiggle the boot off."

"Got it." They worked together and got the boot off with some groaning from Jess but otherwise he laid still.

"Now we can pull the pants lower, Ma'am. Why don't you stand over here and let me where you're at. You can tell me what to do."

"That's good. Poppa can you bring me a warm wash cloth and a towel?"

"Yes'um." He darted off, Lady W and Slim changed places where she had less of a view and Slim wiggled Jess' pants lower only off his hip and checked his face. No response. Slowly Slim untied the banding wrapper and pulled it back and the bandage pad lifted off with it. The bandage was completely filled with blood but not runny or dripping and the skin under the gash was fully bruised. The gash was not gushing, but at least half of the stitches looked pulled nearly free and it was definitely oozing. Chuck came back and handed the cloths to Lady W, both of them shaking their heads in sympathy and ache.

"That's just one of them?" Chuck asked quietly.

"Ya, he's got 4 of these and 3 shredded patches of various sizes up his thigh, over his hip and flank." She handed the warm one to Slim who gently put it on Jess' gash and he moaned with the comfort of the heat. "What's wrong with him Ma'am?" Slim asked in deep concern, holding the cloth in place with his hand he pulled the quilt back over Jess' legs for heat.

"Well, this happened 2-3 weeks ago. From the looks of it, he lost a lot of blood in the accident, then there was the surgery putting everything back. There's bleeding in soft tissue damage plus bone breakage. The human body can only make so much blood so fast and needs liquids to do that. He's dehydrated and cold. It looks like to me he's fighting off shock and his body is pulling blood from the outer areas to sustain the blood needed for the internal organs. He's basically exhausted and his body is trying to stay alive. There's no way to tell how much internal bleeding he's experienced, which also depletes the volume needed for the organs to keep functioning. The amount of blood on the gash is not all that significant. Serious to need attention, yes. But I'm more concerned with the internal bruising he's experienced just as much a medical concern as broken bones and bullet wounds which are more visible. He needs rest and fluids, and a stop to aggravating the existing damage. Is there any way possible you two can stay a few extra days?"

"I'd have to wire home and get my helper to commit for a couple more days. If he can't I have to get back to handle the stage schedule, and I won't have Daisy and Mike out there in the country alone. How far away is your telegraph office?"

"I can have a rider get there in an hour. Why don't you finish here and then write out what you want said and to whom. I'll get it done so you can stay here and monitor him."

"Ok, I can do that. I know how to fix this back up, and will roll him over so he can sleep. He has to be on his left side to be off the wounds. The doc didn't want gravity or weight on his back because of the swelling. I'll meet you back in the den." Slim decided, looking at Jess' sleeping face. His breathing had levelled out more smoothly but was still raspy on exhaling, no doubt from the pain.

Lady W rechecked Jess' forehead for temperature, "He's warming back up. I have a snack prepared when he wakes up and a jug of water for him. Let me go get them."

She left with Chuck and Slim re-bandaged Jess and once they were gone, leaving Jess in his unbuttoned day shirt, he pulled Jess' pants off completely and hid them in Jess' luggage, tucking it away on the floor under the edge of the bed out of sight.

"There, he's not going anywhere without his britches…right Sash!?" He looked at her cuddled up to Jess' hair. He rolled Jess over and tucked pillows and pulled the quilt back up to Jess' chin. Sasha thumped her tail on the bed but didn't lift her chin. "You're quite welcome, Ms. Sasha." Slim smiled and tried to pet her head but was met with a soft, low growl and retrieved his hand quickly. "ok…ok….I get it."

Jess slept through the afternoon gradually warming up and stretching out from the tight curl. Slim and Lady W kept tabs on him and Sasha never left the bed. Slim sent off the telegraph via Chuck's private pony express and they heard back within 3 hours which surprised Slim. The wire said they were all in town getting supplies when the wire came through and was able to reply immediately. The helper was able to spend 1 extra day but had another job lined up and couldn't stay longer. Jess woke up fuzzy headed and any movements hurt or pulled and he ached all over from the fatigue, but the sleep had done its job and he was finally able to focus. Sasha was tucked at his back near the bruise and he quickly identified her but noticed his legs were bare and peeked under the quilt confirming he was in bandages, his oversized shorts and the unbuttoned day shirt.

"What'd you do with my pants, Sash? Or did Slim steal them." He asked in his baritone voice. Then talking to himself mumbled, "You're probably in cahoots with each other. Some bandage change. I'm in jail." Sasha thumped her tail but wisely stayed put. There was a tall glass of water on the night stand with a saucer full of some left over slices of chicken, cheese cubes and crackers and two hard boiled eggs. Jess inched to his elbow and the quilt pulled down some almost to his waist as he reached to the nightstand and the shirt partially fell open. He slowly worked his way through the snack around jabs of pain. Sasha thought the cheese and the chicken smelled pretty good, so she got up and came around to his front and promptly sat at his waist and turned on the charm. Their faces were about 18" apart over the saucer he was holding Jess smiled while chewing a bite, "You're gunna get me in trouble. I don't know what you can eat." She wagged her tail in approval and Jess melted and handed her the second half of his slice which she nibbled from his fingers like a high bred lady. Jess reached for a cracker and offered it to her but was met with a soft snort and she looked back down at the saucer holding more cheese. "Oh, just the good stuff, eh? I can tell you're the expensive kind. 'at's ok, I like a quality lady." He jammed the whole cracker in his mouth and gave her the cube of cheese. She dropped it on the quilt and looked at him and he looked at the cheese, trying to catch cracker crumbs spewing from his mouth, "It's the same cheese as the first bite, girl." She wagged her tail again, looked at the cheese then at his hand. "Oh, so I hafta feed you, huh? Ok." He took the cheese and held it to her face and she immediately nibbled through it like a lady. Then Jess took the last cube of cheese, "All's we need is a little wine, huh?" and put it between his lips and held still to see what she'd do. She dipped her chin, lightly wagged her tail and then in slow motion reached to take it from his lips and he ate the side that was in his mouth. She quickly laid down next to him and Jess heard a sound at his door. He looked over finding Slim and Lady W grinning from ear to ear at them and quickly pulled his shirt closed then reached for the quilt and pulled it up to his shoulders, guilt written all over him.

"You told!" Jess snorted.

"Told what?" Lady W walked into the room. "I don't see anything to tell, except Sasha finally paying attention to someone which is a huge relief to me. Are you both enjoying your snack?

Slim stayed behind her grinning from ear to ear with an innocent, "not me" look and made the gesture zipping his lips.

She gently sat down on the foot of the bed near Jess' feet and petted Sasha, "Are you taking good care of our guest, Sash?" Sasha kept her head down and thumped her tail.

"She's a daggone good nurse, Ma'am. You know Jess, she came and got me this afternoon to check on you when we found you freezing and couldn't wake you up. Your gash was bleeding."

"She did?" Jess asked sheepishly.

"You don't remember me changing your bandage?" Slim asked walking halfway up the side of the bed.

"Uh…ya." Jess lied. "So where's my pants? How bad was it?" Jess was becoming concerned and reached under the blanket to touch his hip wound. He was going to look but that meant removing the quilt off his naked shorts and he thought better of it, looking nervously at Lady W. His touch alone caused a wince to shoot across his face and then he had to lean into his hip slightly until the complaining gash quieted down.

"Well the gash had filled up the entire bandage and you have broken stitches, so along with you nearly passed out frozen, we've had a change of plans."

"Ok, just give me my pants, I'm ready."

"Well, you're not going anywhere mister." Slim admonished pointing a finger at Jess.

"I am, too."

"Are not!" Slim countered smiling at Lady W. She smiled back at their banter.

"What Slim means is the schedule has been adjusted. You're on best rest orders for the next 24 hours solid and will be taking your meals in bed. Your supper is on its way here as we speak and we'll stay with you while you eat. Then Poppa, Slim and I will eat later."

"24..? We have to leave in the morning, what…?"

"I wired home and Joe's gunna stay one more day. That'll give you a day rest before we head back. The time requirement is done, so there's no sense hurrying anymore."

"What are you going to all day tomorrow?" Jess was afraid he'd miss out on the fun.

"Chuck's going to show me his feed barn and grain mixtures and we're gunna look at some of his pasture set ups and pens so I can get an idea how to set things up at home. And we're gunna look at his blacksmith shop and how he builds his branding irons each year. You know he's got this ingenious system for branding, changes every year based on birth year, pedigree code and later tags their ears for quicker identification and sorting as they start showing their size and weight. Basically, the boring mechanics of his set up." Slim winked at Lady W who smiled coyly.

Now Jess was pouting … a little. "Bbut…I need to know that stuff, too."

"And I'll teach you every detail when we get back. Right now, your priority is getting well so we can be ready for Jr when the drive ends. Agreed?"

"Ya.. I guess so. So that's why you stole my pants." Jess mumbled sadly to Slim but had to look to Sasha who had gotten up and crawled onto Jess' chest and he laid back into the pillows and began rubbing her cheeks.

" 'sides, that give you more time to be alone with your g.."

"Slim!" Jess' voice dropped deep again to a warning barely audible.

"….with your new friend, there."

Jess partially smiled at Sasha, "Would you like me to hang around another day? Can you put up with me?"

She wagged her tail and leaned her head into his stroking.

"I know I would enjoy having you around for the day." Lady W offered. "I'd like to get to know you, too. And I can share some things about your mother if you're comfortable with that idea. She talked with me a lot about you before we moved away, and she sent me one letter before we lost contact. It's whatever you think you can handle."

They heard a noise at the bedroom door and it was the lady help with a very large tray of food and condiments. Slim jumped quickly to take the heavy tray and Lady W helped Jess adjust in bed sitting up and packed with pillows. Jess hung onto the quilt to keep himself covered in all the bedding movements. Sasha moved to the foot of the bed waiting for everything to be settled then took her position on the far side of Jess at his leg and laid down.

"Wow, look at all that food!" Jess' eyes got wide.

"I tried to gauge based on the portions I saw you take earlier. There's just a lot of fru fru on this tray too." Lady W explained waving her hand across the tray. "I wanted to try to make you feel like you were not missing out on the dining room, you know." She was worried.

Jess grabbed her hand softly, "Thank you, Ma'am. I'd rather be there, but I'm also embarrassed holding everyone up waiting for me to wobble around. This is plenty nice and I appreciate the extra effort and work. I hate being a bother."

Stealing a raw baby carrot off Jess' plate, Slim popped off ripping into a bite and speaking with his mouth full, "No you don't. You're eatin' up all this attention. Don't let him fool you, Ma'am. Jess…." Jess took a swipe at Slim's stolen carrot but missed diverting to the tray to hold it steady and sucking in a gasp at the rebuke he received from the muscle movement.

"Jess deserves to be spoiled. At least a little." She interjected.

"Ya…." Jess pointed at her with a short stalk of celery, "what she says, Slim. A little appreciation here. Been working hard on this whole thing." He bit off a chew of celery.

"Workin…?" Slim gasped in a tease, "Just wait 'till I get you back home. You'll see work then." He winked again at Lady W.

She laughed, "I can just see you two as little brothers wrestling on the ground."

"Ya and I'd whip the pants right off him." Jess boasted waving the stalk of celery at Slim.

"No way."

"Yes, way. I'm shorter, got a lower center of gravity. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Well, who's got whose pants now?" Slim teased.

"You stole those while I was asleep. 'at don't count." Still waving the celery now to the foot of the bed, "They're probably over there under the edge of this bed, right Sasha?"

She barked and wagged her tail.

" 'er's my girl. She knows!" Jess nodded back at her with a funny face. Slim tried for another carrot and got whapped on the back of his hands with the leafy end of the celery stalk. Slim retrieved his hand and Jess wrapped a protective arm around his tray. "Sit, Slim, Stay!" Munching on another bite of celery with his mouth full Jess asked Lady W, "You 'al eating this same meal?"

"Yes, Jess." She was smiling ear to ear at their antics.

"And I've been smelling it cook all afternoon, too." Slim protested.

Jess waved them away, hungrily circling the plate with his fork seeking his first fork full, "Go on, then. You don't have to babysit me. I know how to put good food away. Shoo!"

Slim grabbed the opportunity and took Lady W's elbow helping her stand, to her surprise.

"C'mon, Ma'am. He's a big boy, believe me, he can feed his self. His mouth wasn't hurt." He started assisting her to the door in a polite manner and she stutter-stepped in front of him unable to stop his towering capture.

"Are you sure you wouldn't enjoy the company?" She asked with her eyebrows up.

"Can't eat and talk at the same time, Ma'am. Go on. I'm fine." Jess quickly stuffed another bite into his mouth. "Got all day tomorrow for talk."

"C'mon, Ma'am, before he gets used to this and expects it at home." Slim kept ahold of her sleeve.

Rounding the corner of the door jamb with Slim tugging on her, "All right. I'll be back later for the tray and with your dessert and snack."

Jess waved goodbye with his fork while his mouth was busy chewing. As soon as they were gone, Sasha sat back up and wagged her tail at him. He stopped chewing for a moment totally captured again by her charm. "ok, ok! Which piece do you want?" He lifted his plate at an angle so she could view it. She woofed softly. He offered her a raw carrot and she took it, laid down on the quilt and ate like a lady. Jess shrugged his shoulders and took another bite of meat.

CHAPTER: 12 The Confession(al) Secrets of the Heart

The next afternoon Jess was laying on his side in bed with Sasha sleeping at his tummy. He was busy reading a newspaper that had been brought on his lunch tray. Having slept late, then eaten a brunch, took a nap, now he was a little fidgety and the news was better than nothing. Several times Slim had poked his head in to check on Jess when Jess was sleeping so they'd missed connections since supper the night before. There was a tapping knock at the bedroom door and he looked up and waved Lady W into the room and started stuffing pillows around so he could look at her while they talked. She brought a glassful of lemonade and set it on the bedside table with a saucer piled high with thick chewy homemade cookies and pulled one of the lightweight chairs to the bed near his head and sat down. She also had a handled small basket filled with some small items.

"I thought you might be awake….just so many naps sometimes gets boring." She offered.

"Ya, just woke up. Not used to being in one position this long. Appreciate the company. Bet Slim's having the time of his life."

"He's been in and out several times and you've been asleep. He didn't want to wake you. Not sure it's the time of anyone's life. You get Poppa started on cattle talk and he'll wear the ears off of you." She smiled and Jess grinned back. "He'll more likely be thrilled to get away from Poppa and in some silence. How are you feeling?"

"Better Ma'am. The break and the food's been great."

"Would you do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Would you call me Maggie, or Margaret like your mother did? At least when we're alone. I get really tired of "Lady this or that" and "Ma'am" makes me feel old. Could you please?"

"I guess so, Ma'…I mean Maggie."

"Oh, thank you. That sounds so nice. Would you like to talk about your mother or is that not a good topic?"

"I don't mind. Always curious to talk with people who knew her."

"If we get into an area you're not comfortable, please let me know and we'll change, but I miss her so much and…well, when I first met you couple days ago, I just instantly felt her again coming off of you and you do favor her coloring so much you could be brother and sister. She was a gorgeous woman…..inside and out. We were such best friends most people thought we were sisters and I didn't have siblings of my own, so I felt of her the same as a sibling. Chuck came east on a business trip and we met there and just instantly fell in love and got married within a few months and he brought me to his home in Texas. It was the first time in my life I had ever been away from my family and friends and I was scared to death. Your mother was 5 years older than me, took me right in and was my first real friend. You were only 4 or 5 years old then."

"You do seem familiar to me, mostly your voice, you have an accent but it's not Texan."

"Yes. I've heard that. I was born and raised in Boston and I think most of that has worn off out here, except when I'm real emotional. Do you have any fond memories of her or are all of your childhood memories horrible?"

Jess smiled to himself over her cynicism "I think they are mostly horrible except for her. To me she was a gracious, funny, gentle and loving mother when we were alone. I've been laying here admiring your house and life remembering it was my dream to see her in a place like this, living your life style instead of grubbing along in a decaying life on a small dirty Texas farmstead. She was my best friend, too, and mother."

Maggie continued, "I cried for days when we left to move here. Chuck never knew I cried because I cried when he was gone to business meetings and trail drives and when I wasn't busy taking care of our 3 toddlers. I've always been really proud of Chuck. He and his dad got ahead of a land grant up here that was too good to pass up. He's been a really great businessman, provider and a wonderful father and husband." A shadow of sadness clouded her face, "Your mother wasn't too happy about your dad's business or work ethics. People would talk behind her back and point fingers, and she knew it was because your dad started dealing with gunmen and well, not so nice men and had a reputation with, you know um…." she unconsciously pulled a fallen lock of her hair from her mouth area, "….certain women. She said one time she was doing laundry and found a torn wanted poster folded up in your dad's back pocket. The part she could read said "Harpers," plural, and "wanted for" and part of a drawing that looked like your dad, but she could never find out the details. He would be gone for a week at a time and still come home broke, stinky and smelling of whisky and perfume, and the farm you all lived on was never cared for or tended to its potential. In the only letter I received, she told me your older brothers had died."

Her voice trailed off and she covered her mouth with her fingertips, looked away from Jess and was quiet for a few seconds, then picked up with another area trying to head to happier information.

"She was so proud how you took care of the chores and animals for her. You know they say parents don't have favorites and you'll never get a parent to declare one, but when we still lived there, she told me privately one day how much she just adored you. She said even as babies your brothers were always raw like their dad but she could see all kinds of potential in you, you know that Poppa declares he saw, but she was deathly afraid your dad would eventually either throw you out or kill you, or worse ruin you. She said you were a fidgeter even before you were born and was always exploring this or that after you were born and she had to work to keep things in front of you to keep your energy satisfied. It tickled her to no end, how your mind was always busy. She said nobody taught you but you just started holding the doors open for the ladies and would run up and carry heavy boxes and laundry baskets. She could never figure out where you learned to do that because none of the other males in the family ever offered. I could just tell how she doted on you how proud she was. You were like her crowning achievement and the best thing she'd ever been able to accomplish."

Jess could see Maggie's heart wide open yearning to share private and intimate details of her favorite topic of his mother, desperately lonely having never done so before and sat more forward on his elbow.

"She told me she often cried herself to sleep not knowing what to do to protect you or to keep you from turning into someone like him or worse. She didn't have any family to turn to, no money or resources and it was tormenting her. I wrote lots of letters to her after we moved, but she never mentioned them or answered my questions. In that one letter I received from her about 3 years after we moved she mentioned things were only getting worse and after that my letters were returned. I have her letter here in this basket along with a locket that she gave me the day we moved. The locket has her only wedding picture and had mine in it and she gave it to me to have so that I'd know….we would always be together in spirit. I think you should have them. She would want you to have them to remember her by."

She held the basket slightly toward Jess to take but he didn't move and she continued to hold them in her hands in a cherished hug not really turning loose.

"Ma'a ...Maggie, these are your treasures, I can't…" Jess could tell by her grip on the basket that she wasn't ready to release it. Her head was trying, but her heart wouldn't let go.
As she spoke Maggie became more tear full, not really pausing to give Jess a chance to speak needing to unload an overburdened heart and more and more she looked into the basket or her lap unable to establish eye contact.

"No, I've been thinking since Chuck said they'd found you, and I've come to believe that she gave me these things to hold to give to you, afraid your dad might find and destroy them, too. There wasn't much she had personally owned that he hadn't already destroyed, except you and Francie. I'd heard from other friends that she had begun sending Francie to her mother's cousins in east Texas and she told me when we were leaving she would do that if your dad began …paying too much attention to Francie. But your cousins never knew why and my friends said they complained a lot. She was afraid if she told the cousins they would turn Francie away. And I know that he abu… didn't treat your mother like a lady. She said he hated you because, unlike your brothers, your eyes stayed blue and to him a blue-eyed boy was a soft sissy. She said he made it very clear to her that a "real man" was a man who um… owned a woman for his own pleasure, whether it was a wife or a hussy, a woman's purpose was for making babies and the only way to control them was by sex."

From some deeply embedded memory in his soul Jess' legs involuntarily suddenly kicked hard under the blankets as if they were being broken going through a solid wall. It startled him and he had to immediately cover up the resulting real pain spasms with every fiber he had. It twisted him in slow motion and he groaned under his breath from a deep, low voice but somehow managed to stay on the bed.

Maggie was holding and looking deeply into the basket and fighting tears and she didn't notice and continued speaking verging on a full release of tears,

"If women couldn't produce other "real men babies" then the wife was useless fodder to be used up and tossed aside." Maggie looked up at Jess with tear brimming eyes, "She was trying to reassure me what a wonderful marriage I had. She never knew these things before she married. Her parents were old, their health failing, and had arranged her marriage quickly, so ….she never had a choice. I ….just don't understand…how parents.. could sell their child. She told me his abuse started on her….wedding night."

Her face was extremely pale and full of questions how any parent could have sold off a daughter to that kind of life and her eyes were brimming tears.

Jess took her hands and pulled her into a soft, supportive hug. She had to reseat herself from the chair onto the bed sitting facing him, but she quickly folded into his hug and wept quietly into his right shoulder. Jess began fighting his own tears and held her as long as she needed and Sasha lifted her head and looked at Maggie then laid her head back down and snuggled tighter into Jess' leg. Slim showed up at the door screeching to a halt seeing them and Jess saw him arrive and stop and motioned for him to leave. Slim looked compassionately at them and quietly tip toed away. Once again, Slim saw someone Jess hardly knew was seeking him for companionship and love and Slim headed back to the living room only he turned to the glass wall and stared out at the mountain range deep in thought.

Maggie reached a point of peace and pulled up wiping her face on the faded, old hanky that was in the basket and Jess waited for her to compose while studying her face.

"I'm so sorry, Jess."

"Don't be." He cooed low in his deeper baritone voice often used to calm an unsettled horse, "You've been carrying this a long time."

Maggie stared at Jess' throat for a moment silently mesmerized by the deeper tone and its soothing sound. She continued, "I never expected this, really I didn't." She tried to explain, still looking at his throat, then into his eyes. "It seems the more I've been around you these last few days, the more drawn I've become to you, you know beyond the peaches and the recipe and things. I had …feeling like I just needed to speak with you privately and share my heart and these treasures. It's really not like me to do this."

She sat up on the edge of the bed with her hands folded in her lap. Jess gently reached and touched the right side of her cheek with his left hand putting his thumb under her chin and lifting it until she looked him in the eye and held contact. In his deep voice, he softly spoke looking compassionately into her eyes.

"You are right, Maggie. She would have given you those things to take care of for her because she truly didn't have personal belongings or a safe place and had her hands full just caring for Francie, me, and later the baby. And you have completely fulfilled her trust bringing them to me. She couldn't write back because there wasn't money for paper and postage. But more than what's in the basket, I think she gave you a part of herself to carry forward to someday in the future should we meet, that you could give that part of herself you carried …to me. You have transferred that also because I have felt her nearby these few days, too." He dropped his hand from her face and took her hands in his. "But, Maggie, she would want us to move forward and create new, happy things for her that she was never given the opportunity to experience. So it's even more important from here to take that part of her with us forward so that what we do in the future will be a part of her legacy, too. I think she knew her life would be short and she and my baby sister both did get real sickly, so she knew things ahead. She would have hoped should I survive, you'd be there to take her place, and that as an adult, I could follow her training and be there for you as she would have had she lived this long."

Maggie's eyes were beginning to twinkle with new hope and she seemed able to hold eye contact again, "I don't think I could have said that any better, Jess. It's exactly what she would be saying to me right now, only it's coming from your lips." Her eyes diverted and stared at Jess' lips for several seconds, wondering how such a young man sitting before her could speak so identically as her best girlfriend and sister had.

"And my heart. You are a beautiful woman, too, Maggie. Inside and out. It's no wonder you two found each other."

"Much like you and Slim?" She looked back at his face.

"Exactly like Slim and me."

"Like Poppa and Elroy…." She put her finger to her lips and smiled, "And Diane and Kenzie."

"Who's Elroy?"
"Oh, that's Kenzie's dad. The ranch next to us?"

"Right." Jess remembered the earlier reference.

"So!" Maggie reached for the basket and easily offered it to Jess. "These are yours."

Jess left the basket in her hands but reached in taking the 1 inch locket opened it and smiled. "Yep, that's her. You do look like sisters only you're blond and she's…..black hair. It's so long. She always wore it tied up on her head. I never saw it down all fixed nice like this and all curly."

Maggie offered, "You don't have to read the letter, it's really sad. But I wanted you to know about it and have it."

Jess looked at it for a few moments, thinking if there could possibly be anything worse than his own memories, then in case there was, and he needed to deal with it on behalf of his mother, he gently opened the aged paper and quickly read the penciled writing. He shook his head slightly side to side, it was a short letter and was not new information, things had even gotten worse after the letter but he didn't want Maggie to know that.

He folded it back and putting both items back in the little basket, "I knew about what's in the letter. I don't think the locket will fit," he held it up playfully against his neck and it was definitely too dainty. "What I'd really like to do is this, Maggie."

"Anything, Jess. I know you'll know what to do." She set the basket to the side on the bed, looked expectantly into his face retaking his hands and snuggling her fingertips into them.

"Would you please keep these things for me here? That way she can continue to keep you company as she has these last 20 or so years and you can be near each other."
"Bbut…. she wanted you to have them." She protested softly.

"And you've dutifully given them to me and I accept them, but this way I will own something of hers and they will just live here in your house. That way a small part of me will always be with you here, too, only now it will be an alive part of us both living with you. And it will give me a reason to come visit you more often and check up on you and Mom."

"Oh, I like that!" Maggie was thrilled. "I have been living with death far too long. It will feel good to be back with her in a living way again, like the sun coming back out after a long rainy season. I so much want to see something of hers be healthy, happy and prosperous."

"One more thing and this is very, very important." Jess squeezed her hand lightly and waving them up and down once in emphasis and to regain her attention.

"Anything, Jess." She eagerly nestled her dainty hands deeper becoming lost in his and leaned toward him.

"After I've left, take this basket to your quiet place and write her a long letter back. Be sure in this letter to tell her the update, in detail, how we've found each other through your son Jr, how I've turned out as an adult, all the plans going forward, how I remembered the peaches and our talk today. You know, bring her up to date on history." Maggie was trembling & nodded eagerly in understanding, "Only you won't mail the letter, Maggie. I want you to put it and Mom's letter and the locket in a larger envelope with my name and instructions to be given to me after you pass on. If I pass before you, then give the packet to Slim or to my future wife or kids as a point of contact so they will know my mother's legacy. Will you do that for me?"

Maggie was enraptured and her face was glowing she pulled her hands free and patted him gently on the chest alternating hands up and down as though playing drums, "I'll do that immediately and I have SO much to tell her! Oh, Jess, you are brilliant!"

"Well, on my weaker days." He smiled broadly at her in a tease. "Only because I have a new fusion of clove flavored peach preserves flowing in my veins again."

"I have a crate full, 12 whole jars with the recipe tucked underneath, ready for you to take home and enjoy. Plus the one I gave you already."

Jess smiled and while watching her face, he slowly, very coyly slipped his hand under his pillow and pulled out the empty jar. She giggled and grabbed it with both hands. "Jess Harper, you rotten, little…"

"Blue eyed boy." He finished her sentence with a half-smile. Their eyes met and she gave him another quicker hug which she relished. "Blue eyed son of my best friend…. and your eyes are exactly the same color as hers and I've missed them SO much!" With her lower lip partially tucked by her upper teeth, she took a softly pointed right index finger and drew a line down the bridge of his nose as though drawing an exclamation mark and Jess captured her hand and kissed the finger.

CHAPTER 13 When Goodbye is Hello Again

The next morning all four were standing around Alamo and the tied up buggy preparing for final departure. Unlike their arrival where Lady W was demur and sophisticatedly reserved, now her small petite frame was quite animated and buoyant fluttering like a carefree butterfly. She was busy helping Slim load the back of the buggy and Jess was propped against the back wheel and facing Chuck as they watched her with smiles. In his head Slim was going down the checklist with Lady W running the show.

"Luggage times 2."

"Check, check."

"Attaché with business documentation."

"Check."

"Samples of grain, crate of Peach Preserves, and one jar of pickles for Slim."

"Check, check and check."
"Jess, the peach recipe is in an envelope in Slim's attaché for safety."

"Check." Jess chimed in copying Slim.

Chuck was standing in front of Jess, "You know you're welcome to stay until you're all mended back up and then go home. I'll even buy the buggy and give you a horse to ride. Or you can stay until the drive is over and then go home with Jr and the cattle delivery."

"I know, Chuck and appreciate the offer. But Slim's going to need me there to prepare for the new coming in and if nothing else I can help with the stage stuff when Jr comes with the cattle and fencing. Besides, I don't want anything giving the appearance that I moved in on your two youngest while they were gone to college."

Chuck shook his head again at Jess and held out his hand, "Still looking at the big picture. Can't change the color on a horse, can ya, Momma." Jess took his right arm out of the sling to return Chuck's handshake.

"No, Poppa, and we don't want to touch one hair on Jess." She called from the back of the buggy where she was on her tip toes giving Slim a hug and a kiss peck on the cheek topped with a huge smile.

Chuck continued, "My door is always open to both you and Slim, Jess. Any need or just because, no reason."

"I know, Sir. Thank you for everything and especially for reaching out and getting into my life." Jess answered leaving his arm free as he watched them exchange places.

Chuck moved off to stand near Slim at the back of the buggy and Lady W moved to take his place, taking Jess by both elbows and standing closer toe to toe she looked up into Jess' blue eyes. "Poppa wanted to give you a big hug, but he's afraid he'll bust something, Jess. So he's wisely allowed that to be my privilege." She was beaming at her success achieving this 'duty.'

Slim and Jess could both read something very precious was about to happen. Slim shook his head slightly and half grinned…here came another female after Jess' irresistible charm.

"Did you and your momma kiss on the lips, Jess?"

Jess frowned imperceptivity now knowing where she was headed and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her feelings. "No, Ma'am," Maggie tilted her head at Jess questioningly and Jess further explained, "She felt her lips had been permanently contaminated with evil and didn't want to infect me. We had another way."

Still, undeterred she continued, "Since you never had the opportunity to say goodbye to your mom when she passed, Poppa's given me permission if you want to say farewell to her now through me, and I'd be more than blessed if you did." Her face held the radiant innocence of a child.

Jess looked into her upturned, wide open face and their age difference faded quickly from view as did their immediate surroundings. He rapidly recognized this wasn't about him saying goodbye as Maggie thought, nor was it about the type of love between a male and female Chuck would have presumed. This beautiful person in front of him was a woman who desperately needed to be deeply kissed in a mutual exchange of unconditional love with someone whom she'd bonded deeply, and terribly ached wanting it down to her toes. However this need was from an emptiness in the part of her soul that had fused to his mother as an intimate friend but in a manner his mother could never have reached because she was a female. From their chat he knew Maggie had stopped dying on the inside and had a new focus for living, but this morning he could see she was not quite breathing on her own yet, lacking in the energy she needed so she could be fully released to go forward with what was deep inside her.

Jess looked over to Chuck briefly and was met by Chuck's small smile and nod in an approval.

"You are a more than generous man." Jess offered, but his mind was already turning to the need standing at his toes seeking something that could only come from him and his face changed.

Slim bumped Chuck in the ribs gently, speaking quietly,

"You can trust Jess, Chuck."

Chuck didn't move a muscle. His eyes were steeled on Jess and his wife.

"I know." He said but it was solely a mental approval spoken by his mouth, not his heart.

Chuck read the shift in Jess' face as he turned back to Maggie and suddenly realized now he was in another poker game, one unfamiliar to him and he was the one waiting for Jess to play his hand. Was this the remarkable cattle wrangler or the hair raising gunfighter, or was there some ounce of the worthless shifty father lurking under the facade of handsome cowboy? For the first time in decades Chuck found himself not knowing the answers ahead of the game and it made him extremely nervous. And this time, Chuck's most precious possession, his wife and soul mate, was suddenly inadvertently on the table, that he had put her there, and he was both curious and anxious finding himself backed into a corner not knowing positively what hand Jess held and how he would play it out. It was obvious to the older man having carefully studied Jess up close the last few days that even torn up from a horrible accident, he was stunningly handsome, well-mannered and exceedingly charming, and being that he was also injured called to his wife's natural nurturing nurse and mothering instincts. He could sense Jess also had that aura of being a place of security that entices women. Chuck thought he had fully read Jess' character and vetted him thoroughly, but he knew that aspect of actually proving him in reality had yet to happen. Could this 'whoever he is' man be the one to place any shadow of doubt in his wife's heart that would replace him as her soul mate?

For some odd reason Slim was trembling more than Jess should have been and he quietly held out his hand to the side where Chuck couldn't see it, finding it shaking and he quickly made a fist and jammed it into his pocket to hide it. He'd seen something new immerging from deep inside Jess through this trip but couldn't put a handle on it. It was a sense of purpose that seemed to solidify a peace that was emitting from within some cavern of who Jess is as a person. Slim wasn't sure if it had been the pain that had been constantly spurring him and Jess governing his body by his will, or if it had come from having some of the buried crud of his childhood lanced and drained. Or maybe it could have even come from Jess walking forward into a brighter, more stable destiny or realizing a powerful businessman had seen and believed in his potential as a toddler and the optional lifestyle he was never given was not by any one singular failing by others. Something was different in Jess, Slim could smell it same as the fragrance of pine needles after a refreshing rain in the forest and whatever it was had deepened Jess on the inside.

It was one of those few moments that suspends itself into an eternity where everything moves in slow motion like molasses in winter. Without looking at it, to properly address a lady, Jess purposefully took his hat off and laid it behind him in the buggy seat where it landed perfectly upright in the middle of the front seat. He stepped forward off the buggy wheel rocking himself onto the crutches holding himself up and Maggie easily slipped her arms under the crutches and around his waist in support. Looking deeply into her eyes Jess took her face tenderly with his fingertips his thumbs framing her cheeks, his blue eyes had come alight with life like a match being fired. He held her eye contact for several seconds instinctively waiting for the go ahead release he would read from her eyes, then very slowly leaned down to her and gently kissed her lips just off center on the far side so Chuck could see it. Unafraid Maggie openly met his lips in firm confidence without shifting it and they kissed warmly for several eternal seconds. Jess knew he was giving her that dosage of strength she had lacked, he could feel it leaving his body and filling her soul, but she needed to breathe, too, and he gently pulled up. Then preparing for something he only sensed had to come next, Jess slowly but purposefully wrapped around her with his arms and curled around her body enveloping her in a long and meaningful hug and she unquestioningly held him tighter and buried her face in his chest. Both of them were fighting tears and Slim had to look away seeing this was going deeper than normal. While locked in their hug and setting his body in balance to contain what was coming next, his deep baritone voice vibrating lightly on her forehead, Jess cooed in her ear just loud enough the four of them could hear it and he gently triggered her.

"Thank you, Maggie, but "goodbyes" are no longer needed. These last few days you've brought her back to life for both of us …and I love you for doing that… for her."

Still held in his hug, Maggie slowly let out a wrenching verbal, deep throated groan that came up out of her womb and her knees caved in. She sagged completely into his arms barely able to stand upright on her own legs and much of her dainty weight transferred onto him sinking deeply into his body and she began sobbing hard into his chest. Jess looked over her head with his cheek on the side of her hair, and unsurprised by her collapse was able to accept and hold her close in support now gently moving his left arm behind her lower back supporting the heaviness of her heaving sobs. He moved his right hand behind her head, neck and shoulders accepted her gifting into his heart his mother's dreams and all her unfulfilled efforts of help she had been carrying. Slim was glued watching and on his mark ready to move into position supporting Jess' back if Jess needed help containing her weight into him, but Jess had put his right toe down seemed to hold steady. Chuck's knuckles were white from the death grip he had on the wagon wheel and was transfixed, visibly vibrating. He wanted to stand forward and gather his wife to comfort her, but he'd read the change he saw in Jess' face, now identified as compassion, was from the same source he'd observed when Jess had been dealing with the wider scope of things. He recognized that Jess' intent was pure and witnessed his method had been so measured in gentleness it hadn't been even one ounce more than Maggie had needed, while covering her with dignity. Now comfortable with Jess' action, Chuck reached into his back pocket and pulled out his hanky and tucked it to Jess' left hand, neither man seeking or giving eye contact that was not necessary. After several long minutes she finished crying and began to pull back sniffling and Jess handed her the hanky but he had to quickly lean back against the buggy's wheel. Still steadying her now by her elbows giving her time to compose herself he looked back over her head into the distance nodding lightly to himself recognizing a mountain of his precious preserved energy had just left his body and had transferred into her needs, but he would have emptied himself if she had needed more. Accepting the delivery of his mother's dreams was of no weight to him because he'd already made his peace with her departure, however Maggie never had closure over separation from his mother and that same weight on her side had been drowning her. She followed him leaning into the wheel still slightly against him and mopped her eyes as he steadied her for as long as she needed him.

Chuck finally cast a quick glance over at Slim who was looking back at the ground but still monitoring Jess, and spoke out of the corner of his mouth while quickly looking back at Jess, completely stunned whispered, "He have this kind of effect on all women?"

"Ya," Slim breathed in deeply, feeling unthreatened in competition for females he looked up at Jess, "Well, pretty much. Sometimes more, sometimes less." Slim noted Jess was sagging more strongly into the wheel minute by minute.

Chuck turned slightly to face Slim shaking his head sideways, "You're right about me trusting him. I'd flatten any other man who could get even close to that level of response from her. I know that woman's soul. But she's been different since he arrived."

"How's that?"
"Odd. Like a ton of weight's been lifted off her shoulders. Especially since yesterday afternoon."

"That's a good thing." It was a question from Slim without a question mark as he was both asking and placing a suggestion into Chuck's mind to keep Chuck on the proper side of his emotions concerning his wife, just in case, as always covering Jess' back.

"Oh, that's a very good thing. She's much more like when I first met her, who I fell in love with. I've got my wife back." This time Chuck was undeterred fighting his own tears he pushed back into the safety of business dealings, "Here," he turned and handed Slim 3 business cards and Slim accepted them keeping one eye on Jess' condition. "Jess said he was going to buy a new buckboard. That top one is the business of a close friend of mine, runs a wagon, buggy and harness shop and also makes customized, hand crafted buckboards and buggies. Show him this and give him one of my cards there," pointing to another card as Slim had them shuffled apart reading them. "Tell him I sent you by for, you know, "one of his specials in the back lot." Those are secret code words. He'll take you out back and give you a special price on your choice of the hand crafted ones. Keep my other cards for any future need."

Slim smiled at Chuck, "That's right on the way home, too. More people network connections?"

" 'At's how business succeeds. We're all in it together as a team." Chuck confirmed.

"Thank you very much. I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for us on this trip, Chuck." Slim offered his handshake and was met firmly in return.

"Quite all right, son. This is what I live for and you two are making me a very happy man," then indicating toward Jess and Lady W. "Especially for that. That's worth more to me than this whole ranch." He waved a wide spread over the horizon, "How does he do that anyway?"

"Darn if I know. I don't think he's even figured himself out either. 't's just who he is." Slim was busy tucking the cards away in his wallet.

Chuck was fixed staring at Jess while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That a fact? Never saw that in him at 5."

Maggie was still sniffling into the hanky and composing herself. Jess tenderly reached for her chin and lifted it so he could check her face and softly brushed a wayward strand of hair from her cheek with the back of the fingertips of his right hand he'd returned to its sling. Beyond the remnant tears, he could see the wholesome peace he wanted to see, a contentment of being full like he'd seen on his baby sister's face after his mom had fed her, one of the few times the baby wasn't crying. Maggie giggled into the hanky while looking back up into his now soft, blue eyes.

"I feel like I've just eaten a whole meal of food I've never tasted before. You're so different than any other man I've ever met, Jess. I see your mom so clearly, but I see more, even better than her. You're carrying her scars and yours, but there's a deeper source of strength and peace in you that she never had. She would be so proud of you and thrilled to know you've made it this far and that you've surpassed both your parents on your own somehow. Please stay who you are and trust yourself. You're on the right path."

"Yes, Ma'am. Don't forget the letter." Jess whispered a reminder. He could hear the new tone of confidence in her voice and that she was now able to freely and fully release her inner intuition and wisdom and he was satisfied his work here was done for now. She had just needed one final ounce of strength from him, the only one on earth she would trust in lieu of his mother, so that she could deliver her 20 year pregnancy of carrying the heavy weight of the responsibility of his mother's dreams to him. Completing her delivery released her own bottled up inner strength to move forward with her new focus on living out their shared sisterhood dreams on his mother's behalf.

"Oh, I won't forget and it will be a very long one. I'm a letter writer so there may be more than one." She whispered back, then without adding weight on to him, she gently leaned further into him trapping his lower body against the wheel both in a light capture and support. She reached up placed her left hand over his heart and then covered it with her right hand, took another long look deep into his eyes, then kissed the dimple in his chin. Not waiting for a response she backed away slowly making sure he was properly secure propped on the crutches and leaning on the wheel. Like silk she glided sweetly into Chuck's arm wrapping her arm around his middle and looked up at him with a huge smile, her eyelids fluttered as their eyes met, and her Boston accent surfaced, "I feel like I can breathe again, Poppa. Isn't it a beautiful day!?" Chuck hugged her tightly in response unable to speak fighting his own emotions.

Slim looked over at Jess who was touching his chin contemplatively, remembering that was how his mother had always kissed him wondering how in the world Maggie knew that, but he was beginning to wobble from standing so long and the drain that had just been expended.

"You ready to light up the trail, cowboy?" Slim called.

Jess didn't respond but began to turn to move to the buggy step and Slim hopped forward to lift him in. As Jess slid to the middle of the seat, secured his hat to his head and grabbed the reins, Slim harnessed Jess' leg into the sling. The buggy had been courteously parked facing the direction out and in one smooth fluid motion Slim untied the horse from the hitch post and secured the tie to the harness, and then took the half dozen steps to Alamo in two strides, grabbed the saddle horn and lofted himself without stirrups onto the saddle in one flowing motion like a dancer.

Chuck and Lady W were arm in arm side by side touching the front of the buggy and Jess turned slightly to face them. "I'll never forget this week and you have changed my life. Thank you."

Chuck and Maggie both were smiling and responded simultaneously, "Mine, too." Maggie added with a peaceful, sweet voice, "It'd be lovely to get a wire that you're home safe. If you have the time."

"Yes, Ma'am." Jess replied and then lightly tapped the reins on the horse's bum and they started for home.

On the trip home, they stopped the first night at a hotel and then visited Chuck's buddy's buggy business the next morning selecting and arranging a special delivery. The last night out Jess wanted to sleep camped out on the hard ground to help get his mind back into the real world and that was happily approved by Slim. Neither one of them had done much talking at all, too busy trying to sort through all they'd experienced. After a campfire supper of good old beans and bacon, they were laying on the ground spread out on bedrolls Slim had also packed in the buggy as an emergency. The silence during supper continued after it as they leaned back on logs while sitting on top their blankets, watching and listening to the campfire crackle and noticing the wide open range sky just chalked full of stars.

"So what exactly happened between you and Lady W?" Slim asked quietly.

Jess contemplatively looked into the night's campfire for several moments before responding while digging out a toothpick from his pocket. "Still working on it." Was a quiet, deep tone.

"Can you give me the highlights?" Slim's curiosity was eating him alive.

When Jess spoke it came from the deep baritone timbre. "So far's at least, from the way I reckon, women must carry guilt and grief in ways different than us men, Slim. Maggie told me she came from a sheltered life in Boston and met Chuck on his business trip east and after a quick courtship they married head over heels in love. When Chuck brought her home to Texas it was her first time away from family and she was terrified by the frontier. My mother was her first and longest friend and helped her adjust to marriage and the ways of the west and they hit it off like you and me, so there wasn't much they didn't share with each other about life, marriage, having babies and such. Plus, she knew about all the dreams my mother had shared with her but was being choked off by the abuse in Mom's life. So Maggie knows more of the crappy details than what Chuck probably only smelled. But women also have this secret code of woman stuff, they share only with other women what they never tell us guys, so she couldn't share what she knew to Chuck out of allegiance to my mom. Then being the wife, she had even less opportunity or ability than Chuck to try to help my mother while Chuck was distracted on me. That meant she knew more, and she figured she owed my mom for taking her under her wing, but her hands were tied and she couldn't help, nor did she have anyone she could share it with."

"Wow, that's a load of guilt." Slim offered.

"I'm sure you know women are very sensitive critters and more delicate both inside and outside. So whatever they feel, goes deeper and is stronger, too. Not only could she not help, when they heard about the Bannister raid…."

"The grief."

"One thing added to another, she's been carrying one hell-of-a load beyond her ability for over 20 years and just needed to reach for help. Said she felt my mother through me the first day so I reckon that gave her permission like to open up about what she'd been suffering through in silence all these years as if my mom had actually shown up there."

"Dad gum, Jess. What a trip!"

"You got that right, Pard. Miles beyond what I ever thought it'd be. Taking a lot of thinking on this one. You know, she had a locket with my mom's picture on one side and hers on the other, from when each of them were first married. They did look like sisters only Maggie was blond and Mom had black hair. I knew Mom had dark hair but she always wore it tied up tight on top her head. In the picture it was down and was long and curly." Jess paused momentarily shaking his head in wonderment and his voice got even lower and softer, "She was absolutely… stunning…. beautiful. It was her face, but my whole life, I never saw her look like that, all young and gussied up. Never seen any woman that gorgeous."

"Do you remember your Mom's eye color?"

"Ya." Jess was very slightly peeved at an obvious question, he started to get quiet again.
"Jess?"

"Blue, dark blue, long curly black hair."

"So you do favor her."

"Maggie said we look like brother and sister."

"Maggie have any answer what your mom and dad saw in each other to get married?"

"Ya, said my mom's parents were really old and took sick fast when she was really very young …basically sold her off to my dad, who was quite a bit older so's they'd have money to get buried." Jess was staring off into the sky but Slim shook his head sadly.

"What's with the "Maggie" part?"

"It's what Mom called her and I guess she needed to hear from my mom again I think. It's a request by her and for private use privilege, so…"

"I understand. What about the goodbye yesterday?"

"Well…" Jess slowly took a deep sigh and released it trying to avoid a pain spasm. "From our talk the afternoon before, 'at's where I'd discovered she'd been carrying around inside herself all my mother's dreams and hopes that was being suffocated by my dad's ….um…treatment. She brought me the only two items my mother owned but had given to her believing that my mother had given them to her to keep my dad from destroying them and also to give to me should we ever meet. When my mother died and they lost track off me, Maggie didn't know what to do, so in her allegiance to my mother, she'd basically wore herself out carrying them these last 20 years. She was just so exhausted she didn't have the energy to move. I kissed her to try and give her some strength, like you get from food, and with the comment I tried to focus her inside where all them hopes and dreams were so she could finally release them back to me. I was the only one who she could give them to because I'm the only part of my mom still alive."
"But I saw more energy come off you than weight transfer to you." Slim was perplexed.

"My mother's hopes and dreams were….are of no weight to me because I'd already made my peace with her death being I was physically with her and had done everything I could. Maggie hadn't and was carrying all this guilt. So I didn't need to kiss her for me to say g'bye, she needed to kiss me for her saying g'bye to holding all my mother's things."

"So your kiss gave her fuel and her kiss was goodbye to your mom's dreams giving them back to you."

"Ya. What I said…" Jess turned the toothpick over and stuck the other end in his mouth, "….well, and the "her kiss was goodbye" part was to the guilt and grief she felt not being able to help my mother in return through the years like when a person says "g-bye or I'm sorry" at a grave. Kinda complicated and I'm not good at 'xplaining stuff."

"No, Jess, I got it, you're doing great. Way ahead of me on this one."

"Well, I got more of the puzzle pieces to things when you wasn't there."

"True. So you know all this while it was happening during the whole visit?"

"No. Well, some. Maybe enough to keep my head above water." Becoming a little bit exasperated, "I dunno, Slim. I thought this was a quick cattle deal. I didn't know we were walking into my past here, and I walked away from that years ago."

"When you were up in the tree?"

"Ya, part of it, when I couldn't move inside myself those 2 days." Jess wasn't doing too well holding in his emotions. "I never had nothing, and everything I knew in life, and the few things I ever loved, had just been blasted to smithereens and burnt to the ground. I never got the education you had to know how handle all this life stuff."

"You mean you've repressed your past." Slim was concerned over Jess' mental and emotional scars Maggie had referenced.

"What's 'at mean, repr….?"

"It means you buried it deep inside and hold it down to keep from dealing with it."

"No…." Jess' voice wavered up and down not agreeing totally and chewing hard on the toothpick, "I've worked on it some…more then than now. Just never got that far and after years searching for the Bannisters and not finding them, I had to lay it to the side." His chewing caused a piece of toothpick to break off in his mouth and he took the pick out and spit the broken piece away and replaced the remaining portion back in his mouth. "Life looks at ya different when you're fifteen. Figured that was the hand I got dealt and tried to make the most of the cards I had. What happened this last week, I been studying on as we've been coming back, you know working it all around in my head trying to put pieces together from all the way back."

"You sure been somewhere, not sure it was in that buggy."

Somewhat indignant leaning up on his elbow against muscle complaints being moved waving the toothpick at the buggy, "Doggone it, Slim! I been sitting there the whole time! Nobody'll let me get anyway's near to a daggum horse!"

"Ya, well, I'd call out to you and you wouldn't answer…you was somewhere. What happened with Sasha?" Slim decided to change to a happier topic, hopefully, and Jess laid back down jamming the toothpick back in his mouth.

"When she brought that last snack for the night, I asked Maggie about Sasha's routine and she's fed in the mornings and then goes back to Diane's bedroom to live. So I gave her one of my used shirts and asked her to close the door after feeding Sasha so she wouldn't know which direction I left and couldn't follow."

"That had to be hard." Slim admitted compassionately.

Jess sighed deeply while rubbing his chest slowly with his left fingertips and his voice got deeper in heart ache, "Oh, dadgum! …..her and Maggie. Hardest…" He sniffed and his voice trailed off as he looked off into the nearby forest away from Slim's view. "So open…. really vulnerable." Earlier he had taken the sling and shoulder holster off and hooked them on a log nub near his head. Resting his left hand on his chest, his right hand dropped onto where the gun belt usually sits on his hip when he wears it and automatically landed aiming in a natural position to land on the gun's handle, but his hip was empty and he pawed air, he looked and then remembered and dropped his hand to his gash site in the valley, lightly massaging it.

"And that log home." Slim was in his own fog.

"Told Maggie growing up as a boy, I had dreams wishing my mom had everything she has. Seeing that for real just nailed it in hard what she never knew. But! If you never seen it, you can never miss it."

"Makes my ranch look like a line shack. I had the distinct impression they wanted to kidnap you and move you in as part of the family."

"Ya, 'at was close. And like Chuck said, it's taken him near 40 years to build all that. You got some to go yet, Slim, but seein' what they've built gives a man an idea what he can aim for, I reckon." Jess admitted, "And if you never know something like that is possible, then you're stuck being satisfied with less. It's those challenges in life that makes it interesting."

"Just think, Jess, one moment in time and a decision made by Chuck not coming back for you, or you'da been there today with Jr as a brother. You could've had all that."

The crickets chirped for several seconds, and the fireplace crackled.

"Ya," then throwing his toothpick away flipping end over end, "but then I'd a never met you, Slim." For a few seconds of an eternity in silence ticked by. Then Jess started shifting slowly easing into his blanket while groaning. "'Sides, they have plenty, you need me." Then softer as a final move unbuckling his saddle braces and setting them close by, "At least I think you do." And he flattened out with a huge low and a long groan as gravity pulled his entire length a new direction. His legs were propped on their luggage instead of pillows keeping them level and he flopped the blanket over himself.

"You got me into this hand, Jess. Don't quit me, now, I DO need you." Seeing Jess fully settled, Slim settled into his blanket after putting the night log onto the fire.

"How's the body holding out?" Slim asked concerned with all the groans. "Anything I need to look at?"

"Everything's still screaming, getting sorta used to all the racket. Think I pulled some stitches loose inside 'tween my tailbone and the knee on that stud fence, tried to cramp up on me and it pulled some when she leaned into me. Gash in the valley ain't happy A'tall. Want to stop through town on the way home and send a wire letting Maggie know we made it. You learn everything he needed to teach us?"

"Wasn't that hard once you see his patterns, but we got a ton of work waiting."

"Ya, back to the real world where most of us live. Sure was a nice dream."

The crickets were chirping away in their choir practice and the fireplace crackled several more times.

"Coming back for me in Texas, hire me on the trail drive, kidnap me now." Jess mused staring through the fireplace with Slim laying just on the other side facing him. "That's three times you coulda lost me, Slim."

Slim's eyes popped wide open, sleep suddenly dissipating. "Did he really try to hire you on the drive?"

Jess saw the reaction he was looking for and smiled coyly, "First night just filled my plate at the chuck wagon….came through last 'cause I'd spent time bedding Traveler down proper like. He pulled me so far aside from the fire thought I'd done something wrong, was busy chewing and staring at me over his plate, looking for a way into what was working on him."

"What did he offer you?" Slim was really worried and leaned up on his elbow to get an unobstructed view of Jess' face and Jess instantly dropped the smile and stared into the fire.

"Well, when he finally spoke, he didn't offer nothing. He asked what it'd take to get me to join the Double KBarS." Jess was telling the truth, but working on Slim some.

Slim became even more worried and annoyed and he leaned forward, his voice becoming louder but trying to hold back, "What did you tell him?"

"Some questions is just better never asked." He snuck a peek at Slim's face in time to see his forehead stretch up, then he closed his eyes pulling the blanket to his chin. "Nite, Slim." Jess made his point, no need to push things too far.

Slim's jaw locked down as he grit his teeth. He knew once Jess quit giving up information a whole remuda couldn't drag it out of him and shutting down on this topic, at this moment, after all the week had been filled with, including the accident before, was not landing well in Slim's good graces. His heart had been shredded dealing with being responsible for the accident and all the pain Jess had been fighting through, watching him trying to navigate the trip, seeing what a wealthy life Jess could have, or even now be living, as compared to his small ranch and financial problems…. He tossed a twig he felt under his finger into the fire trying to suppress his anger and plopped back down on his back on the bedroll. "Nite, Pard." Grumping unintelligible words, Slim rolled onto his side with his back to Jess not at all happy with him and pulled the blanket up over his shoulder.

The fireplace popped and crackled and the crickets kept cricketing. Fifteen seconds later a pine cone hit him squarely and solidly in the back and fell to the ground. Slim smiled knowing then that Jess was telling him to consider at whose campfire he was sleeping.

CHAPTER: 14 Arrival Home

Slim galloped ahead of Jess in the buggy and arrived what was supposed to be only several lengths in front of Jess. The stage had just pulled up the hill departing the other direction when Slim lit off Alamo at the hitching rail. Joe, Mike and Daisy were in the yard, Joe was walking the relay team to the corral and they all heard Slim arrive. Mike and Daisy lit up and Joe ran the team the rest of the way to the corral and let them free closing the gate.

"We're home!" Slim announced loudly.

"Yippee!" Mike began jumping up and down and ran jumping into Slim's arms.

"Where's Jess?" The ever dutiful worrier began looking around wringing her hands then hugging Slim.

"He's about 2 seconds behind me and we need to get him immediately to bed. Joe, I'll need you over here."

"What's wrong, Slim Sherman? What have you…." She immediate frowned expecting the worse.

"He's just exhausted. Spent most of the night fending off cramps first one place then another so we didn't get much sleep. Have you got some food he can eat, Daisy?"

"Of course. Did you eat breakfast or need lunch?"

"Whatever's fastest so we can get him in bed. And he's grouching, so prepare."

Slim looked the direction he came expecting by now to see the buggy, but nothing happened. "Daggone it! Jess. He was just behind me….I hope he didn't turn around! That bullheaded, stubborn… son of a….bum!" Slim hopped back on Alamo without using the stirrups and shot off back down the road while Mike, Daisy and Joe stood dumbfounded in the yard. A minute or so passed then the hubbub broke loose. Slim had the buggy horse by the bridle and from Alamo's back was leading the buggy into the yard at a running walk. "Just as I thought, Daisy, he was trying to turn the buggy around back there in the wide spot and head to town."

Jess' hat was askew on his head and he was yanking on the reins without success so he then threw down the reins in disgust and tried to get his leg loose from the sling. "We were supposed to stop in town and send a wire, Slim! Turn loose, dad gummit!" It would have been a loud yell, but Jess didn't have much volume inside and was being tossed around in the front seat with the buggy motion failing to reach the sling. No sooner had he gotten the words out when a sharp spasm of pain from the exit wounds shot up his spine completely out of patience and in revolt for a week of bouncing and ….more bouncing …. and vibrations being pulled this way and that. The spasm arched him in the seat as though someone had ripped a long knife up the entire back of his body from the bottom of his bum to his skull. His head shot back with a scream of intense pain and his bum teetered on the front edge of the bench, wide eyed he gasped sucking in air trying to breathe against the sharp pain. Then just as fast, gasped loudly again, this time grabbing his right leg trying to keep it straight, but the whole effort rolled him off the bench and folded him into the foot well of the buggy where he had to grab his left knee that he landed on causing it to go into a full revolt, too. By the time they got in front of the house the only thing visible within the buggy was Jess' hat sitting on the bench and his right leg suspended straight into the air from being held in place by the brace, now dangling by the sling, and the leg was protruding forward and off to the right side like a very large antenna as Slim brought the buggy to a stop.

Slim jumped down instantly and released the sling trying to keep the twist off the right leg, caught the leg and gently lowered it and Jess was whimpering in a fetal position on the floorboard trying to suck in air to breathe and out of enough hands to hold every piece of his body that was screaming.

"I'll go send the wire myself just as soon as you're in bed, Jess. The longer you take, the longer it'll be before it goes out. C'mere, hot shot. You're exhausted." Slim tried calming him down but Jess was still curled fighting what was by now a chain reaction full body cramp and he couldn't move if a whole tribe of Indians had been attacking.

"Slim Sherman!" Daisy yelled and she tried to push past Slim to reach Jess' head. Mike and Joe were still frozen in the yard….Joe finally grabbed the buggy horse's bridle to head him.

"Don't …..touch….me…..! Jess was screaming in a whisper in agony and anybody moving or just touching him would have been a disaster absolutely convinced his muscles were peeling away from bones. His face was getting flushed being all folded up in a small area, his teeth grit and his eyes slammed shut in excruciating pain.

Daisy immediately began inspecting Jess, feeling his forehead for temperature. "Where is it worst, Jess?" Her voice was calm and motherly.

"Bbb…ack…..left knee." It was barely above a whisper but she caught it. Jess' back was up against the bench and she couldn't reach that, so she went to the side of the buggy and grabbed his left ankle and gently but steadily stretched the toe up holding the heel down being careful to not move the knee itself. Slowly, the counter move began to work stretching his calf muscle and Jess was able to inch the leg out. By then the back had begun to loosen also and within a few moments he was able to relax still in the fetal position, the right leg still stretched straight by the brace laying over the front foot board. Barely back into being able to breathe, Jess whispered, "I could kiss you, Dais…. thanks! Just… let me sit a minute…"

"Ok, Jess. Just take your time." She lightly patted his foot and immediately swiveled into and almost landed in Slim's arms as he was directly at her back leaning forward but looking very helpless. It fully arched her back as she peered up into his mountain-high face, she put her hands on her hips, feet firmly planted and was about to launch into Slim when he took two steps back, held up both hands in surrender looking guilty as hell.

"Slim Sherman!"

"Now, easy, Daisy…. We had a good trip and took everything easy. He had a full day and half of bedrest before we started back. Just this last hour he ….began fidgeting something awful and I made an executive decision to come straight home and not through town like he wanted."
With all the fight departed, Jess called softly still folded from his nest in the buggy, "Dais…. not Slim…..my fault."

Daisy started to well up with tears. "You men….I swear…." Shaking her head she turned back to check on Jess and his eyes finally focused. She peered into his face and he gave her a very sheepish, boyish half grin. "Trip was just one hour too long. Slim was right not going through town."

"Did you twist your right leg?"

"No, Ma'am, brace held it. Braces do a really good job, it's just muscles all round them are shot to hel….pieces."

"Joe, why don't you move the buggy slowly close to the front door. Can you stay a few minutes longer help me get him inside?" Slim asked.

"Sure, Slim. That was the last stage, so when you're done with me, I'll leave."

"Let's get him inside, and if you could put all the horses to bed, I can help Daisy. Sure appreciate you staying one more day like you did."

"No problem, Slim. Glad to help. Is he going to be all right?" Joe led the buggy horse slowly and stopped in just the right spot.

"Ya, just was more trip than we thought but we paced ourselves. Mike can you hold the buggy horse tight?"

"Sure, Slim."

"Where do you want him, Daisy?"

"How bad is he?" She shot back, "Is he bleeding, too?"

"Well, back wounds are oozing clear fluid, the big bruise has added new color, the knee is cramping at night, the right leg is quiet but the gashes will need some attention. He thinks he pulled some stitches loose and the wire gashes are all bruised up underneath. Mostly though..." Slim was happy with his report as not being too serious. "He's just exhausted."

"Is that ALL?" She exclaimed completely unhappy about his condition and so proceeded with orders. "I want him in the dining room where I can keep my eye on you two. Maybe later, your bedroom. And you'll have to move the furniture."

"C'mon Joe." Slim grabbed his elbow and they both disappeared into the house.

Daisy went back to Jess' head and checked his face. He was laying quietly on his side in the floorboard with his eyes closed. "How are you doing, Jess?"

"Ok, now. Just tired….hungry.. outta fuel and caving. Was a great trip, Daisy. Just give us time to explain… UMM! ….ow!" He peeped and arched against another medium pain spasm in his back without opening his eyes.

"Ah..huh…" She wasn't buying it, but wasn't going to antagonize her patient, either. "What do you think you can eat?"

"Dying for some apple pie?" He opened one eye at her playfully and half grinned.

"Jess Harper! My stars." She gave him a return half grin.

"Got a crate of peach preserves in the back. Worth everything I own..'xcept Traveler. He ok?"

"He's getting fat and ornery."

Slim and Joe returned, "Ok, we're ready. Wheel barrow or arm lift, Jess?"

"Let me get my head above sea level, first."

Slim crawled into the seat and began extracting Jess slowly from the floorboard. "Stand by, Joe, we got a system." Slim proudly announced as he latched onto Jess.

Jess tried to smother groans and gasps and Slim took it slow and gentle and got him standing to the side of the buggy. Jess grabbed a handful of the front of Slim's shirt to a stop while he balanced to a vertical position on the braces and then tried to readjust them back down on his hips.. …and out of his um….roots. It didn't work very well because the brace straps were tightly pinning his cloths down but the bandages were holding them in their newly displaced locations. He looked like he been dumped out of washtub and wrung out and was hanging to dry on clothespins while still wearing the pants. On the rare occasion his hair was topsy turvy and both he and Slim had 3 days growth of scruff having roughed it out on the trip home.

"Crutches." Jess whispered sucking in air at pain spasms still spurring him unmercifully. He saw Mike standing by holding the horse and they smiled at each other, "Hey, Tiger. How'd you like being the man of the house?"

"Didn't." Mike looked Jess up and down worried about his disheveled appearance.

"How old are you again?" Jess was trying to remember.

"Be 7 this summer! Why?"

A shadow crossed Jess' face then he frowned, "Naw, I guess you wouldn't ...that age." Jess tried to distract the curiosity, but his head raised slightly from the memory that had resurfaced of himself at that age and he looked off in the distance frowning.

"Please carry him, Slim." Daisy had her hands clasped together in worry.

Slim was torn. Jess returned to the present and looked Daisy in the face, "I best know what can be touched, Dais. We'll go slow, promise. Here!" Announcing as a proud over achiever, "I'll even show you just how slow I can go….like on the trip."

Slim handed him the crutches and Jess winced with every step, but finally made it next to his bed along the wall between the two bedroom doors. He backed up to it and Slim began unbuckling everything and eased Jess down eventually getting him fully on his side on the bed. Jess closed his eyes with a soft, deep voiced groan under his breath and slowly inched parts into a relaxed position and then waited for the new complaints to commence. His upper lip was moist with the pain from the effort.

"Good to go, good to get home." Slim announced, rubbing his hands together feeling very lucky that Daisy wasn't killing him. "Lunch?" He looked at Daisy who gave him a dirty look. "Then we can change bandages and let him sleep."

"Well, I'll say this much. He's better at the crutches than when he left." She walked to the kitchen with a glance over her shoulder.

"How 'bout some water, Jess?" Slim offered keeping a wary eye on Daisy trying to prove his nursing skills were still active.

"Be great." Was a non-committal response. Slim went into the kitchen and from his height advantage began looking around and over Daisy making sure to stay out of her pathway as she moved through the kitchen gathering things.

"It's by the sink, Slim." Daisy already had it waiting and didn't like Slim floating above her. Slim grabbed the jug and took it to Jess.

While Slim and Daisy were in the kitchen, Joe and Mike were unloading the buggy. With no one watching, Jess grabbed the pillow and buried his head in it nearly sobbing in agony from the aching and exhaustion. Slim came back into the dining room, now part bedroom and caught Jess with his head in the pillow and shook his own head, pulled up a chair next to him and held out the jug of water, tapping it on the side of the bed and still watching Daisy. Jess looked up out of the pillow putting on a made up face of normal and got some water choked down and handed it back.

Joe came into the house carrying the crate of peaches and jar of pickles, "This looks good. Kitchen?

Jess saw the crate and just before Slim could say yes, he waved it toward himself, "Right over here, Joe. Under my bed."

Joe handed it to Slim who held it on his lap looking at it with desire, "What you're not going to share your bounty?"

Jess tried to reach for it, but the sling on his right arm laying loose on his chest interfered,

"Maybe! If you treat me right! 'at's private stock, ya know."

Jess impatiently pointed to under his bed and Slim grinned at him and slid it under his bed but held onto the pickles.

"Pickles are mine! Chuck has a collection of nice maps and was showing me how he's got his ranch laid out and plans for extending it. Jr's in the process of buying up the land east of him and his own log house will be done in a year and he'll move in. Jeremy's close to marrying a girl from college and wants to live in Denver to have access to all the latest scientific resources for his thesis in sperm management. Kenzie's dad, Elroy built up his ranch adjoining Chuck's on the west closer to the mountains and is 3/4ths the size of Chucks. He's built a log home nearly identical to Chuck's and Kenzie will move back after college to take over running her dad's ranch and will inherit it free and clear of debt. Her dad's already in his late sixties and his health isn't doing too well. Chuck thinks Diane will want the house he's living in and will move back in when she's through college. And most interesting, his attorney's dad and Chuck's dad were close friends and partners. Their dads and the existing attorney has connections all over the country that give him inside news on the industries moving west including the railroads." Slim began sharing with Jess, looking down mostly but occasionally watching Jess for interest.

At first Jess was fidgeting and groaning with his eyes closed, but the more he heard, the more he started looking at Slim with intent. "Really? You find out how big his spread..?"

"Ya, he's sitting on about 150 sections, all stretching between north of Denver and up this direction. That's 150 square miles, Jess, most of it west of Ft. Collins then cuts west just south of Cheyenne. And he's interested in filling in by growing between his northern border and up this way because there's inside word the railroads will be very interested in the land just south of Laramie, because of the light grade. Elroy wants in and has some capital available, as does Jr. You'd have your pick of the two girls." He cast a side glance at Jess.

Jess half smiled out of the corner of his mouth. "Ya, that dark haired Kenzie was sure a looker, kinda reminded me of my mother's picture in the locket. But then Diana looks like Maggie."

"Well, you've already won over a pooch."

"That's a special "pooch," Slim. Real intelligent."

"We've walked into a gold mine, Jess. You realize where this could go?"

"Well, I didn't know the land particulars, but I could smell something big that first evening."

"That land next to us that's for sale is directly between our two spreads."

"Ya. Ol' Chuck can smell a deal upwind. Dadgum, that was quite a poker game you two got into sitting on that bull's pen. Never seen such a master." Jess leaned up on his elbow, the pain spasms were becoming more bearable. "And the thing about it, Slim, he wasn't trying to fleece you. Seemed more to me like how much he could, well, almost give away an…."

"…And do it in a way that wasn't degrading or embarrassing to me." Slim finished but it was another question without a question mark. He just needed to confirm what he was already thinking.

"Exactly. Like my poker game with Jr. only mine's was small potatoes compared with yours."

"But I can't see where any of it is rigged, or not a straight up good thing." Slim's over analytical mind was over thinking and worried. "I mean, here's a guy sitting on everything and he's giving it away? How can he stay in business?"

"Well, like he said, he's not in it for the money, he's investing in people. If he's investing, that means he's getting a return for his dollar. And he's making lots of those. I'm not finding anyone, anywhere that's got a bad word about him either. Reputation like that's worth more than gold."

"You mean like he's employing other businesses to make money for everyone? My dad always said, "it takes money to make money" and another one was, "make money do the work for you."."

Jess laid back down, "Sounds like one smart man." He chuckled, "Musta known Chuck. I'd bet money, he's already got us married to those two daughters and bringing in the north side of his empire by partnering with this spread, surround the railroad with right a ways at the same time locking down that income resource. He's no dummy." "You can sure say that again." Slim agreed.

"He's no dummy." Jess grinned looking sideways at Slim. " 'sides, Pard, what's so awful about his plan? Gives us a target to aim for, lots of benefits for all involved, ground floor opportunity to Chuck's next expansion. We'd get a quality woman, educated and pretty to boot. Most of all, they can already ride."

"It would provide stability to this ranch, and our lives. And I holding out for Josie, so you can have your pick." Slim pondered.

"Are you two still talking business?" Daisy came close and started loading the table with food, her attitude mellowing seeing Jess resting and doing business in a wise manner. "I would have thought you'd be tired from all the excitement last week, and your trip. I paid Joe and he just left."

Slim stood up and started helping her transport food and dishes. "Thank you, Daisy. Oh, you haven't seen nothing, yet. Things around here are fixing to change and I mean change big."

"Really? Is that a good thing?"

"Oh, yes. That's a very good thing, for all of us. Even give Mike more security and an opportunity for a quality education. Give something for Andy to come back to. And we definitely need you, Daisy!"

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, we need somebody to keep us men all in line….and.." he brought a serving bowl to his nose for a sniff, "mmm, mmm, you sure know how to do that!" Their hands finally empty, he hugged her from the side and she smiled.

"Ok, everyone up to the table. Jess, you stay put, I'll bring yours over."

"Shucks, Daisy, I need to um….you know….a…wash my hands. Just give me a second." He sat up grabbing the braces, had them on in seconds like a pair of gloves, then started reaching for the crutches and Mike picked them up and handed them to him.. "Thanks, Tiger!" and Jess slowly crutched out the door calling over his shoulder, "And then Slim's got to go to town."

"For what?" Daisy inquired while waiting.

"Well, I have to speak with the land office and then send wires to the Wentworths and the doctor; boy do I have some news for the doc. When do you think Jess will be up to the second surgery on his knee?"

"Better get him scheduled right away. Sometimes it takes a while to get into a doctor's schedule as busy as that man stays. Jess looks like he's being smart and going slow."

"Oh, he is, Daisy. You'da been proud of him."

"Well, you'd never believe it by the way you two came pouring in here an hour ago."

CHAPTER 15 Refibishing Knees, Corrals and Written Letters

The new buckboard arrived the day before the surgery and Jess got the first test drive complete with Mike and Daisy who had to have a sample drive. They went to town to retrieve the second load of poles for the horizontal part of the fence Slim had already started on and Jess paid for it with his cash stash. The trip wore him out, though, and Slim forced him back to bed to wait for surgery the next day. He went back to bed but was glowing over having driven something brand new for the first time in his life and having paid it off in cash.

Slim had gone the afternoon they got home to send the wires but came back with posts using the short wagon. While waiting for Jess' knee surgery he had set the posts enlarging the corral attached to the barn. He divided it into two sections with a third, smaller pen behind the barn and along the back fence. He'd cut down trees along the back another 6' into the forest to make the back pen deeper. The new corral butted up to the hillside adding 1 foot and extended out into the driveway area another 15 feet which created more of a yard between the house and where the stages would stop. The divided sections ran perpendicular to the hillside in the yard side of the side barn door with a set up of "U" shaped swinging gates so that either pen would access the side door of the barn. The back smaller pen had a smaller gate up next to the barn into the second section. Slim figured on putting the stallion in the middle section and the geldings in the front section if they would get along. The back pen was for injuries or special use or for storing hay or for whatever. He also enclosed a tall squared back corner of the barn with reinforced boards for the stallion for winter, or to be used as a mare holding or foaling stall, or simply to rotate the geldings outside while the stud was in the barn. They also bought some matching timber to rebuild the other hill side half of the front valley into multiple squared off holding pens for the stage horses with a small tack room for harnesses and feed plus for small groups of cattle who would need to rotate in or hold bulls. That stack of lumber was delivered and stacked neatly on skids off the ground near the hillside. The plan was to leave the middle of the unused valley for a new log home to be eventually built at some time in the future and then expanding the barn where the existing house was but all based on what Jr's land engineering would recommend. Slim wanted to get the pole corral done and as much of the valley pens done before Jr arrived with the stallion and the new stock. He'd managed to find some extra help from surrounding ranchers who were in down time and came over during the day to earn some extra cash and several stage drivers who got put on short schedules who worked for a side of beef. He hoped to borrow the DKBarS hands to finish the fencing on the south for bringing his cattle down for the winter that had gotten put on hold when Jess was injured. The accident site was left alone and there were no plans to recover anything that went over the embankment into the trees because Slim was superstitious. Needless to say, the Sherman Ranch was hopping with activity… and Jess was upset he wasn't more physically involved.

The doctor came four days after they arrived home and was both happy with Jess' progress on the right leg, and mad about all the bruising and continued drainage, nor was he happy with the report of Jess passing out cold during the trip. He decided that his brace prototype needed improvement in design and wouldn't bill Jess for its use. The surgery on the knee went smooth and quickly and while Jess was sleeping off the anesthetic Slim brought the doctor up to date over Wentworth's interest, the Denver land and building and the cattleman's association. The doctor was thrilled and they planned to meet in Denver over the winter after things calmed down some. By then it was hoped Jess would be more mobile and either make the trip with Slim taking care of the stagecoach or visa versa. Jess wanted to see Maggie and Sasha and Slim wanted to do the business.

Jess' nightmares and knee cramps continued but the dreams began to include ones from his horrible childhood and Slim couldn't get much information from him about the dreams other than the topic in one word, either his childhood or the accident. Slim figured the inactivity from recovering on the knee surgery was aggravating Jess' inner cavern of bad childhood scars but couldn't land on an answer needing to keep him in bed to heal up.

Daisy and Slim were in the yard loading the doctor for his departure on the midafternoon stage. Mike was in the bedroom doing schoolwork and Jess had just fallen back to sleep from his initial waking off the anesthesia. The doctor was seated and the door not closed yet.

"He needs to stay off that knee at least 3 days and in bed. Those wounds need immobility in order to knit closed again. Try to keep the right leg as straight as possible so that gash on his hip can knit straight, not folded and then be torn the next time he stretches the leg straight. Keep pushing the fluid and food and wire me if anything develops. The braces are still required for the next 5 weeks but if you need to pull stitches, Daisy, do as you see fit."

"I will, doctor. Thank you for all you're doing." Daisy reassured.

"See you, Slim. Looking forward to the future."

"Me too, Doc. Safe trip." Slim closed and latched the door and tapped on the side of the coach and the driver took off and Slim and Daisy walked back into the house and sat down in the kitchen at the small table.

"Fence looks good, Slim. Are you going to take the rest of the day off?

"Ya. Tomorrow's Sunday and I need a break."

"Well good. You look as exhausted as Jess. I'm getting the impression this trip was more than just cows. Would you enjoy some fresh coffee?

"I sure would, Daisy."

"Piece of pie?"

Slim hesitated and looked over at the sleeping Jess.

"I made a fresh one this morning. I have one piece left from yesterday's pie."

"Perfect. I don't need a plate, Daisy."

She got up and started the coffee and brought the pie tin to Slim and he began eating it earnestly. "More that cows?" She prompted.

"Well, Daisy, the details should come from Jess but just so you know what Jess is dealing with…."

"I'm listening."

"Basically, come to find out, the Wentworths knew Jess' family but it was back when Jess was a toddler, about 5 years old or so….little younger than Mike."

"Mike is 7."

Slim stopped chewing a moment, his forehead raised and shook his head remembering Jess' story at that age. He was looking down into the pie plate toying with crumbs and Daisy became concerned.

"Slim?"

"Huh? Oh. Mrs. Wentworth, or they call her "Lady W" was best friends with his mother and Mr. Wentworth, or "Chuck" took a shine to Jess. Jess had a very bad childhood, traumatic and I'll leave those detail for him to share if he wants. Chuck wanted to take Jess under his wing when Jess was 5, but things broke down and then business moved the Wentworths to their ranch up here north of Denver and they ultimately lost connections. Then a few months ago when Jess went on that trail drive, the Wentworths recognized him and basically this cattle deal was their way of offering to Jess a chance to be together again. So this whole trip was much more than what was anticipated."

"But how wonderful for Jess, isn't it? From what I hear the Wentworths are a good family."

"Yes, a wonderful family on a mega-size ranch with tons of resources and very gregarious. But it also reopened everything he's buried from his past and family, and since that was a harrowing time in his life, he's had more than injuries and cattle to deal with on this trip."

"Oh yes, I can see that now." She got up and poured their coffee and glanced into the living room to check on Jess. "How's he handling it?"

"Well some really beautiful things happened while we were there, healing things. The peach preserves are part of that. He's processing it, making good progress and landing on the right answers, actually quite intuitive answers I didn't see, but then he's got more of the puzzle pieces than I have, so he would be ahead of me. He's just going to need time, a lot of patience, understanding, and support to work these things into his life up here. There's just so much potential for his life, all our lives with this connection to this family, this isn't just a onetime cattle purchase. This whole week is a lifestyle changer, and for the better for all of us. It's really …" Slim took another bite.

"What?"

"Well, Jess is a hands on type. What would help him most is to be busy working it out while he's physically doing things. That's how he's always handled things. But at the same time, he needs the space to work this out in his head and that's hard to do when you're doing ranch work where your mind has to be on the work, not somewhere off processing thoughts. So it's good he can't physically do much…good in a safer sense. It'll just be more frustrating because it's a new way of dealing with the stuff life throws your way. That and him learning to see life in the long term rather than just the excitement of today. I think that's where he'll need the most help."

"And just how do I do that, Slim? He's a grown man, not a child. I can't just make him sit down and do homework like I do Mike."

"Well, Daisy. You're a mother, a school teacher and a nurse with war experience. I can think of no one more qualified I can turn to for help. That's why I'm sharing this, so you'll know where Jess is coming from if he starts bouncing off the walls while he's penned up with his legs. You're older than me, even, so you already know how to break a project or a problem down and parcel it out to where it can be handled. He'll need to learn that…it was missing in his childhood. I'm pretty sure you'll know what to do when or if something happens. Just wanted to bring you up to date on the scope of what this turned into for us."

"I appreciate that, Slim, and your confidence in me. I had no idea this had taken on this proportion or deeper involvement in Jess' secret past. Thank you. I will do my best. Just how big is this Wentworth ranch?"

"Well, his spread alone is about 150 square miles, he has cattle and raises Quarter Horses, one of the studs is coming here, two bulls and about 15 heifers that are cov… pregnant. His son and foreman will be delivering them after the trail drive along with about 30 hands will come here to do fencing work over the winter and spring. Chuck wants to become involved in the doc's medical facility because his wife, the one who knew Jess' mom, is a trained nurse from Boston. So there's a lot to this."

"Oh, my. That IS big."

"They were talking about inviting us for the holidays, too. There are three of the kids who are in college will be home during the holidays, we could get to meet them, too. Two of those 3 kids are beautiful, single women…so….there's all kinds of possibilities."

"I don't know what to say, Slim."

"Neither does Jess or me. We're playing this one day at a time. One project and one event. We just need to stay pliable and support each other. Be a huge change for Mike, too, but a chance for him to get a college education, got to think of those things now." Slim finished the pie and was wiping the tin with the back of his fork for every last drop.

Not exactly under their direct observation, Jess had begun dreaming while under the residue of the anesthesia and the dream was turning into a nightmare and he'd begun frowning and shifting in his sleep, the movement causing low groans and uneven breathing. He finally got loud enough Slim caught it and he looked over noticing Jess beginning to fidget in his sleep knowing from recent events that Jess was starting into another nightmare.

"He's headed into another nightmare." Slim's voice took on a sudden urgency and he hurried over to Jess' bed just in time to reach him as Jess had a strong spasm and curled up on his side, leaning up as though trying to sit up over his stomach. Just as Slim touched Jess, Jess woke up wild eyed and in pain trying to focus and screaming, "Get OFF h…!". Daisy was right behind Slim ready to help.

"Jess, wake up! You're dreaming!" Slim grabbed Jess supporting his back.

Jess continued to gasp for breath, deep in some agony either real or in the dream, Slim couldn't tell.

"JESS! Wake up…pard! I gotcha!"

"Huh!...? I ….gotta…" Jess was still curled and clutching his midsection, but began to paw his way over the edge of the side board of the bed and moved his leg which then caused a leg spasm in the newly stitched knee and he grabbed at that. "Hafta…hel !" He sucked in air gasping at the knee pain and sank back into the pillow. "Sssl….m.. he's …." Jess' eyes finally focused and he recognized Slim's face bending over him.

"He's what, Jess?" Slim helped him lay back and adjusted pillows for him.

"Nothing…" Jess barely whispered and turned into the pillow with his face trying to shut out the memory of the dream's content. Slim could feel Jess' body trembling and he was cold to the touch and pulled the quilt back up and smoothed it over Jess.

"He's trembling, Daisy."

"You need another blanket?"

"Ya, he can always throw it off."

She disappeared and came back quickly with a wool blanket and tucked it around him. Jess gradually relaxed and the trembling began to break up into groups and slowly faded away as the heat from the blankets helped. By then Jess had drifted back to sleep very groggy.

"A nightmare?" Daisy queried softly.

"Ya. Since the trip he won't tell me about the nightmares. Only answer I can get is if it's the accident or his mother's horrible life and he clams up. You know he actually witnessed the outlaw's raid that killed his family and burned down everything he knew."

"No I didn't know that. How old was he?"

"About 15. He saw everything and it was ugly."

Daisy put both hands over her mouth, aghast and smothered a gasp. Slim looked up at her and saw her fighting back tears, and when he looked, she turned quickly away and went back to the table and sat down. Slim started to get back up but as he moved the blanket off his knee he saw Jess had aligned the back of his right hand along Slim's knee in touch contact and decided to wait for several moments until Jess' breathing dropped into a regular and quiet pattern of deep sleep. Once Jess reached a deep sleep his right hand relaxed away from Slim's knee and he stood up and went back to the table quietly. He could tell Daisy had not been completely successful in stopping tears but she was trying hard.

"Are you sure, Slim?" She asked softly, one hand still covering her mouth.

"Jess doesn't share much. I learned more this last week than the whole time I've known him and that part's not the worst. He told me things last week he experienced as a kid that ….well, let's just say I understand what you're feeling."

"I don't doubt you, Slim, but if that's so, how in this world did he turn out so upright inside?"

"That question has all of us puzzled."

Jess had been grumping and sulking over the last 4 days as he gradually returned to consciousness from the anesthesia on his knee surgery. Much to Daisy's chagrin, Mike had taken up overnight guard status while managing instead to fall asleep between Jess' back and the wall the bed was against, but Jess wouldn't allow them to make Mike go to his own bed. Jess believed something was bothering Mike who was then seeking his presence during the night and was enjoying the heat Mike's body radiated in therapy on his own sore back. While Jess sulked in silence on his bed, Daisy had been busy cooking all day baking goodies for the extra helpers to take home as her part of their payment for helping Slim on the fencing and she took them out to the men just as dusk was settling and they began breaking up for the night. The last stage was running late and Mike had helped Slim change the horses so as soon as Daisy handed out her goodies, a mass exodus for the day began and the ranch settled into a peaceful early evening. Mike was in the corral with the horses pulling the harnesses off and putting out fresh grain and Slim was putting away heavy construction tools.

"You men sure are getting a lot done. There's something more done each time I come outside, which is more than what's going on inside." Daisy had walked up to Slim who was waving the stage out. Slim was holding some items off the stage in his hand.

"Ya, they're doing great. We should be pretty close to finished on time, maybe a little ahead. Thought we'd quit early today, smells like rain coming in and they need to get home to their families. So what's not happening inside? Jess?"

"Yes. He's still upset not being out here helping, just like you said."
"How's his body doing?"

"Well, the anesthesia is slowly clearing his system but it's slow because he's not up moving around because of his legs and because he's not able to eat for the queasiness, there's not much going through his system to push it out. When he does fall asleep he starts having the bad dreams. I feel for him…it's so hard on a young man. He doesn't even seem interested in getting out of bed, which worries me most."

"I know, Daisy. But this should cheer him up." Slim raised his hand holding the items off the stage.

"What do you have?"

"Stage brought some mail. It's addressed to him from Lady Wentworth." Slim lifted it to his nose. "Sure smells good."

He offered for Daisy to sniff and she did. "Smells like cloves. Why would…"

"Cloves?" Slim took another sniff. "What are cloves anyway?"

"They're a spice, Slim, used in cooking and therapy. Not only do they add a special flavor to food, like hams or gingerbread or pumpkin pie, they have pain killing and anti-inflammatory properties that help the body."

"You know, smelling this I can….this is the same smell in those peach preserves Jess is guarding with his life. He told me he could fall into the jar and eat his way out."

"Is that right? His body must be calling for it then, which is good, he needs those properties right now."

"He was talking more about his childhood, he couldn't eat enough of those preserves."

"Well, a child could need anti-inflammatory properties, especially if he has lots of aches and pains."

Slim looked at Daisy and frowned realizing as a child Jess was probably injured a lot. "What do anti-inflammatory properties do?"

"Well, I guess you could describe it like a sore muscle is inflamed, or a headache, something irritated generally causes ache or pain. It would work like a hot compress, only from the inside of the body. The clove would help increase blood flow as part of the body's way of flushing the extra pooled blood through the swelling so it could return to normal. His bruised back, the swelling around the wounds are all called inflamed. It's very common for people to get a craving for a food or a flavor as a way the body is calling for a missing ingredient it needs."

"That's fascinating, Daisy." Slim was staring over her head into the house. Slim weighed the packet in his hand, shifting his weight, then striding to the door… "Let's see what he got, ok?" Mike finished his chore and fell into step behind them.

"Hey, Jess. The stage brought you some mail." He called striding into the room and slid into the chair next to Jess' bed who was still in his night clothes of bandages from shoulder to knees, over-sized boxers and a loose unbuttoned shirt, laying covered on the bed with his left hand over his forehead deep in thought.

"Ya." It was a disinterested and sad sound.

"Ya. Sit up pard…it's from Lady Wentworth!" He lifted the packet to his nose.

Jess looked quickly at Slim from under his hand, "Lady…? Oh, please No!" Jess instantly thought she'd passed and this was the agreed upon letter.

"Smells good, too. Kinda like those pree-serves you're hoggin."

Jess sat up on his elbow and reached to jerk it out of Slim's teasing hands. "Give it here!" and Slim jerked it out of his reach.

"Please!" Slim was after some manners, or in lieu of, at least some fight. Mike crawled gently onto the back of Jess' bed by the wall to watch. He got fight. Making an angry face and almost coming out of the bed, Jess made a harder grab which woke up the muscle spasm choir and he had to recoil and retreat driving his right elbow into his hip and arching his back, sucking in air between his teeth and leaning down on his left elbow, his chin coming down on his chest bracing.

"Just wait till I'm outta this bedcell. SLIM!" It was a whimpered threat that lacked any evidence whatsoever of strength to fulfill it.

Slim smiled softly and waved the packet again, out of reach. "Please?

Jess held his hand out and complied, making a face at Slim, "Pulease."

"That's better." Slim brought it closer and Jess snatched it before Slim was ready. Daisy was standing behind Slim, all three were intently watching Jess and the packet.

It was an 8x10" manila colored padded envelop that was stuffed with some things making it about an inch thick. Jess no sooner got the envelope in his hands and he could smell the clove and sniffed the package taking a deep breath very slowly trying to keep the pain at bay. Then he noticed no one was moving away. "What are you all staring at? It's addressed to me."

"We'd like to enjoy it with you, Jess." Daisy's usual charmingly sweet voice disarmed Jess' challenge.

Slim pulled out his pocket knife, opened it and offered it to Jess who was reading some print on the back of the envelope that said, "This is Not the letter to your mother, Jess." Jess breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the knife wondering why it was there, then took the knife and slit the end open. Two other envelopes fell out on the bed in front of Jess. He looked inside the outer envelope checking it for more and sniffed it, then set it aside and slit the one marked "first". The second, smaller envelope had something small and hard in it unlike the other one which was flat like paper. Jess unfolded the pages of the "first" envelope's contents and handed the knife back to Slim to hold.

"It's a letter from Mag…Lady Wentworth." He began reading it quietly which took several minutes because it was 3 pages long. As he read it Jess began to smile softly, even fighting moist eyes and lightly frowning trying to keep from tearing further. As he read, he had to lay back down on his side with a pillow under his shoulder and hold the letter down on the bed. Mike and Slim both began peering over Jess' hip and the paper from their angles trying to see what was so capturing and Jess looked up briefly noticing the curiosity and pulled the paper closer for privacy.

"Well?" Slim couldn't contain himself any longer and Daisy swatted his shoulder. "Is everything alright? The deal still on?"

Jess' face had brightened immensely and his tone was much happier. "Ya, ya…that part's still ok. She's just telling me…I asked her to do something the afternoon we had that chat?"

"Ya. I remember the chat." Slim encouraged.

"You see, she wrote tons of letters to my mother and my mom only wrote one, so I asked Mag..Lady Wentworth, after we left, to write a letter back to my mother bringing her up to date on all the new, good news from our trip there. Lady W said she was a letter writer and was thrilled with the idea and told me that letter would be very long. I told her to put it with my mother's letter and the locket she showed me into an envelope to be given to me when she passed so I could give it to my heirs as part of my mother's legacy. She's just telling me how much fun she's having writing this letter. It's up to 15 pages already and she's still not done." Jess was grinning by now. Daisy was fighting tears. Mike was perplexed over how that could be interesting and Slim was smiling.

"That's a beautiful idea, Jess." Daisy offered.

"And, Slim, if something happens to me and I die first, she's supposed to give it to you. If I don't have a wife or kids, just throw it in my coffin."
"There will be no such talk like that in my house, Jess." Slim stipulated. " 'sides you're so ornery you'll gunna out live me. Anything else?" Slim pointed to the letter Jess was back to a smile.

"She says they will send a wire when they get a date for arrival here, try to give 1 week notice, Jr's not back yet, but he's not due for at least another week. Chuck can't stop talking about the visit and …." A shadow crossed Jess' face, "Sash's…"

"Oh, no….Jess….don't tell me….something's happened to her?"

Jess had a sad look, pointed at where he began to read off the letter….. "She says Sash made such a ruckus at the door so hard they had to open it, she ran around the house crying all day looking for me. Dragged my shirt to the bedroom I slept in, somehow got it onto the bed and won't leave the bed. They finally got her to eat something Sunday." Jess groaned and laid fully back on the bed covering his eyes with his forearm.

"I don't recall that name mentioned so far. Who's Sash?" Daisy asked.

"Jess' new girlfriend." Slim leaked too fast to catch himself. Jess wasn't talking back or correcting him.

"New girlfriend?" Mike asked almost in a jealous tone.

"This is news. Why haven't you mentioned something this important before?" Daisy was sucked in. Jess still wasn't stopping Slim so he proceeded.

"Ya, her name is Sasha. They met the first night we were there, she um, actually threw herself into Jess' lap and before I knew it, she'd spent the whole night with him in his bed and they were face to face and hip to hip the next morning when I went to wake him up. Became inseparable. Times I couldn't stand it, them throwing themselves at each other. Whenever Jess was in the house, she was all over him and he ….well…..let's just say, was not fighting her off." Slim was on a roll.

Daisy was fidgeting and walked over to Mike and tried her head nod to Slim to stop before he told Mike too much. But Slim was too busy watching to see if Jess would launch into him to stop… more worried about Jess cutting him off at the knees.

"Jess Harper!" Daisy exclaimed.

"Huh?" Jess was off in his own world concerned about Sasha.

"This Sasha woman, Jess. Really. Is that any kind of example to set for Mike?" She tried her head nodding at Jess but Jess was fighting his emotions.

"What?"

"I was telling them about your new girlfriend, Jess." Slim winked at him.

Jess startled up, leaning up on his elbow back in fight mode, "You did what!" he almost yelled.

"I told them about Sasha, you know, your new girlfriend. They hafta know some time." Slim face was straight and true. "You can't keep hiding something like this forever, Jess." He blinked quickly several times then hid a wink at the end. Jess looked at him at first with anger, then melted.

Slim continued tilting his head, "She's got that charm, all she has to do is look at you just the right way, I've seen you when she looks at you that way."

Jess caught on and started to play along, looking down and played guilty as hell, "You're right, Slim, and I'm just dying inside without her. Ya, Daisy. Slim's right, I can't keep her a secret much longer. She's got my heart and I… I just can't help myself." He hugged the letter. "Looks at me with those chocolate brown eyes, turns her head just so, and she's got this little way she puts her mouth…. gorgeous red hair….I'm just gone. Can't say no to anything she wants. Daisy, she found every wound on my body the first night and kissed every one of them. I couldn't stop her either…." Jess shot a side look at Daisy who was still not catching on, ".. ya know weak as I was ..and all exhausted like."

Daisy began to get all huffy and started to grab Mike to pull him off Jess' bed, now not so sure about Jess' integrity being that available to a 7 year old. "Well, I'll be….Jess Harper, I thought so much more of you. Mike, go to your room this instant and finish your homework." She reached to get Mike's arm and he pulled it out of her way, and grabbed the blanket at Jess' hip.

"Naw, Daisy, I want to stay here and hear more about this girl that's captured Jess!" Mike announced.

Trying to keep Mike from pulling something tender on his body, Jess tapped the bed in front of him. "Ya, Mike, over here. I'll tell you all about her." Mike quickly jumped away from Daisy and went the long way around the bed avoiding being trapped by a Daisy snagging, and sat down on the bed near Jess' head.

"Slim!?" Daisy tried to enlist Slim's help.

"He's a boy, Daisy. He needs to know things…he's getting older, ya know." Slim defended and continued unabated, "What and the next afternoon, she was, you know, face to face eating food right from his mouth. I tell ya, I couldn't get them apart. It was sad…purely sad! Dad gum embarrassing."
"Don't forget to tell, Slim, how she came and got you when I passed out with my gash here bleeding…."

"That's right! Daisy, we got back from looking at the cattle, ate lunch and she came and got him and ushered him right back to bed. Hour or so later, she came and got me and .. and I had to.." Slim looked directly at Daisy and dropped his shoulders in feigned defeat, "..well, I found him passed out under the quilt, the bed was just a mess… had to patch up his gash there on his um…his you know…. what…"

Slim pointed at Jess' general hip area, and Jess played along putting his right elbow covering his hip gash and the rest of his forearm covering his um… roots. Daisy was red faced and hands on her hips. Slim continued speaking,

"…his um… hip there. He'd passed out cold and.. and was bleeding through the bandage… …looked like the stitches had been broken. She was right there on the bed, couldn't get any space hardly between them so's I could patch him, she even pointed out his bleeding so I knew where to fix."
"All right, I think this whole project needs to stop. And we don't need any association with people like this who let this go on in their house." Daisy was getting so mad, she was putting her foot down, her hands waving madly in the air in front of her trying to fend off the imagery.

"I wanna know more, Jess. What'd she look like? Is she tall and skinny?" Mike kept going. Slim winked at Jess who smiled agreeing they needed to relax Daisy.

"Well, Tiger…she had these really cute black whiskers and…" Jess started.

"Whiskers?! A girl with whiskers? EEWU!" Mike was instantly repulsed.

"….this furry face and four legs and this cute, long tail…." He shot another side glance at Daisy and added a wink and she caught this one and rolled her eyes, making a face at Jess and lightly whapping Slim on his back in front of her and Slim ducked and grinned ear to ear at Mike.

"And she has this darling little, "woof" that just goes right through my heart." Jess placed his open hand over his heart massaging it, then grinned at Mike and Mike caught on and started whapping Jess' head and shoulders.

"Aw, Jess! A dog!"

Slim started to interfere to protect Jess but Jess grabbed Mike and rolled him over his body back to the bed next to the wall upside down feet in the air and started tickling him. Mike ended up laughing so hard he started hurting and yelling "STOP! STO…..JESS!"

The letters and envelopes all fell to the floor and Slim picked them up and held them ready for when Jess released Mike.

"What's in this other envelope?" Slim asked trying to salvage Mike's life.

"Oh ya… let's see." Jess dumped Mike's legs on top of Mike to sort himself out and turned back in the bed. Slim reoffered the knife and Jess slit the second envelope open and peered inside again returning the knife to Slim. "Smells like…" He opened his other hand and slowly poured out the contents, it was 5 short sticks of cloves 1" long with their heads. Slim noticed handwriting on the back of the envelope and handed it back to Jess. Jess read it out loud,

"These are cloves, Jess. Just thought you'd enjoy knowing what they look like. Maggie. P.S. Don't eat them. These are raw and need to be cooked first."

Jess looked them over really close up and took some more long sniffs closing his eyes in pure heavenly delight.

"So 'at's a clove, eh? Kinda small for such a big smell." He offered one to Slim, "You wanna see?"

Slim did and he had to aim his long fingers, but was able to pinch one off of Jess' open palm. Mike had righted himself but was a topsy turvy mess and was leaning over Jess' hip …

"I wanna see. What is it?" Jess let him take another one from his palm. "You ever see one, Daisy?" He offered the one to her.

"Yes, Jess, cook with them all the time, mostly ground up. Shall I tell you a secret?" She waved him off holding one and he brought it back close smelling it really close.

"Sure!" Jess looked up at her.

"I put it in my apple pie." She smiled coyly in a motherly way.

"Dad gum….you don't!" He had a second thought maybe she was paying him back in a joke. "Naw….you're yanking my legs….ain't falling for it, Daiz."

"Yes, I do." She went to the kitchen and pulled out her seasoning bottle and the current, freshly baked pie and brought it close to Jess handing the pie to Slim to hold. She opened the bottle and held it down to his face and he sniffed it, then Slim held the pie close after smelling it.

Jess' face was full of wonder, looking back at her.

"Dad gum, you do!"

His voice was softer and he began eyeing the pie in Slim's hands measuring the grab distance. Slowly he put his clove back into the envelope and tucked it next to the other envelopes under his chest and just as he was about to grab the pie, Daisy whisked it out of Slim's hands shooting a look at him of … "here's your payback!." And with her back arched, she marched it back to the oven.

"You have to get out of bed and eat some supper first, Jess. Then you can have some pie."

Slim was grinning ear to ear and Jess was giving Slim a "well you're a lot of help" look.

"And first thing tomorrow, you're sitting right at that table and writing your thank you note for the visit and a response letter to this one." Daisy advised. She'd found her avenue to help Jess with his stationary…. ….lifestyle.

"What's a thank you note?"

"It's a small note or letter thanking your host for their hospitality, food and bedding, putting up with you during the visit."

"I did that in person when we left." Jess objected.

"It's proper etiquette to do it in writing. And didn't you just say she wrote lots of letters to your mom and only received one back? So, wouldn't it be wonderful if she could get a few from you?"

Slim cocked his head raising his eyebrows in agreement with Daisy. "Give you something to do AND it'd help me a lot if you could take care of that etiquette part, since it's right down your alley."

"What alley?" Jess still objected

"That" people part of business" you're so good at "alley"."

"They don't have to be long, Jess. Short ones are fine. It's the thought that counts." Daisy encouraged in her motherly tone returning the pie to the top of the oven. "So you three have just enough time to get ready for supper, Jess. You, too, Slim, Mike, time to clean up."

Jess collected his clove samples like they were gold pieces and carefully tucked them in the envelope, took a long sniff and curled it closed over them and put them away in the larger envelope. Then he settled back on the pillows to re-read the letter from Maggie, but Slim picked the braces back off the floor and tossed them lightly on the bed.

"Saddle up, you can keep me safe out there while I clean up….take a peek at what we've gotten done so far and tell me what you think. You can read that later."

"Figured you had it all worked out without me, Slim. What do I need to see?"

"You got a good eye for stuff I miss all the time, Jess. Remember…we're in this together. I still need you. Don't go all indoor on me."

"Ya?" Jess looked up at Slim who was smiling and Jess quickly folded the letter and tucked them all under his pillow and grabbed the braces and started slapping them on over his nightwear. Then it dawned on him that he didn't have any britches on having been under the covers all day, and had to remove the braces, fish his pants off the bedpost at the head of the bed, then reapply the braces. Finally he got on his feet with Mike's assist on the crutches and while Jess zipped up his pants Slim kneeled down and helped tighten the braces down, but the knee was freshly swollen from surgery and needed more room than Slim remembered.

"Ow!" Jess flinched…. "EASY, Slim! Some of that is me!"

"At least your knee is putting some weight back on, Jess."

"'At ain't weight, it's swelling and bandages! Surgery, remember?"

"We'll be right back, Daisy." Slim had the brace quickly re-set unaffected by Jess' whining and took off calling over his shoulders as the 3 boys left through the kitchen door.
"Fifteen minutes, Slim."

"We'll hurry, it's fixing to rain."

CHAPTER: 16 Heart to Heart connection

Daisy knocked on the men's semi closed bedroom door carrying a small box, envelope and a tray of milk and sliced homemade bread. She had to knock a second time harder before hearing a muffled groan- framed, "Ya….c'men…" from the late sleeper. Jess was still on his side with the covers flipped halfway down his body, all frazzled-looking and his eyes had not quite opened when he spoke.

Daisy whisked in and from the corner of her eye could see he wasn't fully covered by bedding and while still in bandages, the full shirt he slept in unbuttoned had also folded back exposing his stomach's bandages. So she kept her eye on balancing her load and offered in a cheery voice,

"Slim said you were up all night and you'd be sleeping late, but you just missed the morning stage going the right way for your thank you note you didn't write yet."

At the sound of her voice coming close Jess instantly reached pulling blankets as instinctively as hauling leather and ran into his shirt so he pulled that one first, then the blanket while trying to open his eyes. Trying to focus in consciousness he'd ended up in a struggle with the covers which were not cooperating and Daisy reached his bed side table first and set her items down on top of the crate of peach preserves that was under constant guard and control with the nearby hanging shoulder holster and handgun. They had moved Jess back into the bedroom and he insisted the peach jars be stationed that close to his head. Jess finally got the covers pulled up and started rubbing his eyes still trying to pry them open Jess muttered, "What?"

"It's almost 2 pm, Jess. Aren't you hungry?" She thought at least his stomach would have woke him by now.

Jess managed to focus and the first thing he checked was the peach jars and seeing them safe he flipped his hand through his hair and then down his face which was growing a new crop of scruff and had a good head start. Then he yawned …3 times in a row, the first 2 times his eyes glued shut again in eyelid freeze.

"Was it pain or nightmares?" Daisy was still trying to engage Jess' brain. She sat down on the straight back chair next to the head of his bed.

"Ya."

"Well which one?"

"Both" He reached for the water jug on the floor next to his bed and chugged down several swallows.

"Are you still dreaming about the accident?"

"No. Mike's nightmares, my aches." Jess started situating himself more upright in bed grimacing at pain twitches, situating his shirt closed and smoothing the covers.

"Mike?" Daisy was immediately concerned.

"Ya, he's been hanging close since the accident, you know, climbing in bed behind me, which is fine. I figured something was bothering him. Since we got back from the trip he crawls in but then starts whimpering and tossing some. Won't tell me what's going on…it'll come when he's ready." He looked up at Daisy rubbing one eye, "What 'cha need?"

"I brought you a snack to tide you over until you get dressed and moving around, and you've got more mail from Lady Wentworth."

"More mail? Haven't answered the first one, yet." Jess was perplexed.

"You said she wrote your mother a lot. Perhaps she's replaced writing her with you instead."

Jess unconsciously scratched his head looking over the tray, "Ya, that would ….make sense."

"Mail or snack first? I brought some buttered bread and a spoon if you want to break into your supply of preserves. I'd love to know her recipe." Daisy's curiosity about the preserves was getting the better of her.

"How about both. I'll eat while I read."

Daisy moved the tray over onto Jess' lap and reached for a jar of peaches but struggled to open the twist off cap. "Oh my. She got a good seal."

Jess was reaching for the envelope with the table knife as a letter opener and he opened it, then still looking at the paper offered to help Daisy with the jar and she declined.

"I'll get it, Jess. I may be old, but I'm not infirmed…..yet!" She got it open and took a close sniff. "Oh, definitely! I can smell the cloves….MMM this does smell good."

Jess zipped open the box but left it between his knees at the edge of the tray and Daisy handed the open jar to Jess' waiting hand. He had the letter opened ready to read and then loaded a piece of bread with a very thick layer of the preserves, put the knife down and tore off a decent sized corner and handed it to Daisy not watching her but picking up the letter to read while he munched on his part of the bread.

Daisy chuckled at Jess' distractedness and his sharing with her a small corner but she savored it trying to detect the other ingredients. Coyly she sweetly offered, "Why thank you, Jess for your generosity." But Jess was too engrossed reading to have heard. Then she mumbled, "I wonder if she'd share her recipe?"

Still reading the letter and munching, Jess interjected, "Got it. Was my mom's. Supposed to be in Slim's attaché we brought back." Jess got the word right but the emphasis was on the wrong syllable and sounded more like a smothered sneeze while saying the word Apache. "Be curious to see if you can duplicate it, Dais….." His mind was still distracted.

"Would you mind if I had some more of your preserves, Jess? It's wonderful."

"Huh? Ya….bring some more bread…. me too….. ah…..please." Jess was licking the preserves off the bread more than eating the bread.

Daisy grinned at him and went to the kitchen bringing back the whole loaf sliced, a spoon and a second knife. Jess was on his third page when she got back and sat down helping herself to a full slice of bread and appropriate covering of preserves. When he finished the letter, he looked on the back side of the pages for any additional writing then back at Daisy, pointing with the knife to her serving. "Good, huh?!" he said grinning.
"It's wonderful, Jess, no surprise why you enjoy it. She's got some other ingredients beside cloves, though. Has me curious. Was it a good letter?"

Jess had latched onto another slice, loaded it and holding it ready to eat was licking the knife residue. "Ya, real good. Newsy."

"Really? How's that make you feel?" Daisy had slipped into teacher mode.

"All kinda warm inside….like … I mean…she's sitting down taking all this time to write about what's going on in her life and what's been, you know, developing since her and I had our….. She's a wonderful lady, Daisy, you'd really like her. About your age, I reckon, was born and raised back east where you came from. She's blond like you, too."

"From where?"

"Boston. Born and raised. Chuck went east on a business trip and they met, fell in love and got married and he took her to his home to Texas where she met my mom. She was 5 years younger than Mom, but they became such good friends people thought they were sisters. You should see her house! It's made all out of logs and really fancy, you know tablecloths and those candle things that take up the whole dining room table. She can cook…just like you, Daisy…too."

"So if you feel that way receiving her letters, how do you think she'd feel getting some from you?"

"But I don't know what to say. Never really written real letters, maybe a wire or two here and there."

"Well you do the same thing, share what you're doing, what's happened since your trip or because of it. How you're mending. I'm sure she'd like to know that. Just simple things, doesn't have to be complicated or long."

"You mean like the new buckboard and the pole fence Slim's putting up?"

"That, plus what you're doing helping with the ranch paperwork and helping me cook, what they did to your leg in the second surgery and how fast it's healing. Letters are conversations on paper."

Jess finished his second slice of preserves and reached for the box still chewing but talking with his mouth full. Somehow the peach preserves in his mouth automatically brought the little boy to the surface.

"She says there's some things in here from Sasha and has some ideas, plus some other things she thought I'd like to know about my mother." Jess pulled out a very small 5" beef bone that was used up and polished smooth. It had a tag on it that said, "This is from Sasha. She thought she'd share a treasured possession." Jess read it out loud and laughed lightly and showed it to Daisy. Next he pulled out a folded up piece of cloth that was semi-fuzzy and its tag read, "This is from Sasha, too. It's one of her favorite blankets. Thought you could sleep with it for a week then send it back with your fresh scent. She's still running around the house crying and looking for you." Jess hugged it fighting off tears and murmured "Oh…Sash… …sweetie." Daisy didn't have the heart to ask.

The third item was another small box containing a lacy object and a folded written note. The lacy object was white and blue, very delicate and handmade and in the shape of an 8" circle and looked like a very large snowflake with a blue ribbon woven through the outer edge of the circle. Jess looked it over very closely fascinated with the delicateness. He held it up for Daisy, who knew exactly what it was.

"Wonder what this is….never seen anything so …delicate. Do you know what it is, Daisy?"

"What's the note say, Jess?" she pointed confidently to the note.

Jess gently spread it out on his knee and picked up the note and read it out loud. "Jess, this is a hair wrap ladies use to hold long hair in a bun up in a decorative way. Your mother and I used to make these out of supplies I brought from Boston. I taught her how to do it and she learned really fast and was great. It's called tatting…" Jess stumbled on this word and showed it to Daisy who confirmed it for him, "… and is done by hand using this thin thread. I found this one stuck to some table cloths in the bottom of my sideboard the other day. It's one your mother made for me and I wore it all the time during the hot Texas summers. I thought you'd like to have something your mother made. I haven't made any of these in years but will make some more pieces and send them later. Maggie."

Jess picked up the tatting very gently and reverently, slowly brought it to his lips and kissed it holding it to his face for several moments, then took the bone and blanket and letter all to his chest with his head bowed over them. Daisy could tell he was lost somewhere in his memories and gently took the tray from his lap and left the room leaving the peach jar closed on the night stand. Jess stayed in place for several minutes no one was counting when he finally aroused from the past, swiveled his legs out of the bed and put Sasha's things under his pillow. He reached for his britches which were hanging on the opposite headboard post and pulled them on, leaning back on the bed fastening them with the shirt tail still hanging out and shirt unbuttoned. He sat back up on the side of the bed with his legs hanging off, the tatting still clutched in his left hand when he noticed two small boots standing between his socked feet and looked up finding Mike standing in front of him. Mike looked like he was fighting tears.

Jess' voice was deep and his blue eyes were soft sensing Mike was finally ready to talk. "Hey, Tiger." He tapped Mike's tummy with his index finger.

Mike pointed to Jess' left hand, "What's that?" It was a quiet, curious voice.

"It's a hair thingy my mother made, supposed to hold their long hair back." Jess opened his hand and spread it out for Mike's discovery.

"How's it work?"

"Dunno….never had hair that long. Lady Wentworth sent it to me, just arrived on the stage."

Mike's finger returned to his side, "Jess.?" Mike's head stayed mostly bowed not looking directly at Jess.

"Ya, Tiger. What's chewing on you?"

"Did you really watch your ma and pa get killed?

Jess gently took Mike's pant pocket tops with his fingertips and pulled him closer between his knees. "How'd you know about that, Tiger?"

"Well, I um ….was doing homework while everyone was waiting for you to wake up from surgery and got stuck on a question. I was gunna ask Daisy, but she was busy talking to Slim and Slim told her you'd seen your family killed. Is that true?"

Jess instantly knew what was troubling Mike, now knowing that Mike had learned of something they shared. He decided it best to let Mike reveal what he knew and wanted to know first before trying to solve the problem. "Yes, Tiger. I saw my parents and baby sister killed."

"How old were you?"

"Little bit more than you, I was barely fifteen."

"How did they die?"

"A gang of outlaws attacked our house with guns then burned it down."

Mike looked up briefly at Jess frowning then looked back down.

"Did that happen around here, too?"

"No. I was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas. After they died, I drifted and just ended up here where Slim latched onto me."

"Did he raise you?"

"No. It was a little over 10 years later before I met Slim."

"So did you have other family to help you before Slim?"

"No. There was no one left, just like with your family."

"Who took care of you then?"

"Took care of myself and it was very hard. That's why Slim and me latched onto you so fast. Hard thing being in this world all by yourself. Not many people can do it and it's harder the younger you are. What's eating you, Tiger?"

"Did you ever have bad dreams seeing them being killed over and over?" Mike was near tears.

"All the time. Wake up and cry myself back to sleep and nobody ever knew. Those things are normal, though, Mike. Bad things happen to people all the time and then have bad dreams reliving it."

"They do?" a flicker of hope lit in his face.

"Oh, ya. But it fades after time and they go away."

"How long does it take?"
"Sometimes weeks, sometimes months or years, it's different for everyone. Sometimes things happen that remind you of the event and the dreams start again, then they fade again and go away. Thing to learn is dreams aren't horrible things. It's normal to dream good dreams and bad dreams. You learn to wake yourself up to stop the bad dream you recognize. Just because you dream something doesn't mean it's gunna happen again. It's just your brain never forgets nothing and sometimes those bad events just resurface like a dead fish floating to the top of the water."

Slim came into the house looking for Mike's help with the stage that just arrived but before he could holler, he saw Mike's back standing between Jess' knees and a heavy conversation. Jess saw Slim through the same doorway and waved him off. Slim shook his head slightly and went back out the door…Jess was at it again.

"You're sure they go away…even if they come back again?"
"Happens with me all the time, Tiger."

"How did you get past seeing your family die? Didn't it hurt you to watch that?"

"Yes, Mike.. it hurt bad, especially since I was trying to save my mom and sister. I couldn't move inside for 2 days, then I got really mad at the people who did it and spent a lot of time trying to find them so they would pay."

"Did you ever find them?"

"Not then, but years later I was with a posse and some other people killed them."

"Did it ever hurt knowing you were the only one who lived?"

Jess' knew they'd landed on the core and took his finger under Mike's chin seeking eye contact and Mike looked at him, "That was the worst hurt I've ever felt, Tiger. Worse than all these….." Jess waved at his body with his other hand… "… other injuries. But Mike, I finally discovered after years of pain that there was really nothing more I could have done to save them and had to put it down and move on. You can rip yourself apart holding on to the "what ifs" in life and it will make your life miserable. Or you can learn that there are things in life you have no control over, and they will hurt. But you do have the control to put the stop on the pain by learning to accept life is hard and sometimes it hurts. But you go on living, learn from the experience and try very hard to not repeat it somewhere in the future. Do you understand?"

"Ya. I just wasn't sure why I'd be dreaming it over and over. So I just wake up to stop the dream?"

"Yep. 'at's what I do. Works for me. If you want me to, and I see you having a bad dream, you want me to help you wake up?"

"Would you? At least until I figure out how."

"Sure, be glad to."

"And if you want me to help you wake up, let me know, ok?" Mike offered in return.

"I'll do that. Thanks, Tiger! You might go check with Slim see if he needs help, too."

"Ok!" A happy boy ran from the room, all cares in the world gone from his shoulders.

Daisy crossed paths with him and they almost collided in the bedroom doorway where Mike scurried past her and out the door. Daisy looked into the bedroom finding Jess still sitting over his knees on the bed, pants on but shirt still unbuttoned where he was back to studying the tatted hair decoration still in his left hand.

"Are you ready for some more food, Jess?"

"Huh? Oh. Maybe later, Daisy. I need to get some fresh air." Jess reached for his braces and had them slapped on and cinched tight in a matter of seconds and they'd found a slipper for his left foot. He grabbed the crutches that were leaning against the head of his bed and slowly pulled himself to his feet and then tenderly folded and tucked the tatted hair decoration into his shirt pocket and made his way out the front door headed to the privy. He stopped at the water pump coming back out and splashed his face with water and dried it. Then buttoning the shirt he worked his way to the new corral gate where Slim was taking the harnesses off the used team on the stage that was just leaving. Mike was putting out grain in the feeders over by the water trough and out of ear shot. Slim watched Jess arrive and lean on the new fence propped by his

crutches.

"Were you able to help Mike? I noticed he's been having dreams tucked up there behind you at night."

"Slim." Jess looked down at the ground. His voice was soft and not accusatory, talking with a very close confidant and unconditional friend. But Slim heard that tone and knew Jess had drawn a bead on something and put the harnesses on their pegs and turned loose of them.

"Ya, Jess." Slim watched Jess' face waiting but Jess continued to study the ground.

"I know I didn't mention this to you before, but anything I've told you about my past and my family, especially on this trip, is between us. 'S not something I'm really proud of, you know a messed up family an' all."

"Haven't. Figured it was private and you'd share what you want with who you want."

"Mike overheard you telling Daisy about me seeing my family killed."

"That's the only thing I told her without any details, just that you'd seen it and she wanted to know how old you were and I told her 15. I was explaining how the scope of the trip got so big beyond just buying cattle and how the Wentworths knew your family. Told her if you wanted to tell anymore you would. Is that what's causing his dreams? I….dadgum. …..Jess" Slim looked down putting a boot on the bottom fence rail, "I'm just causing you all kinds of hurt."

Jess frowned looking back up into the new corral completely accepting Slim's information as gospel truth, adding, "Been a rough patch of road lately, for all of us. But I reckon a lot of good is coming from it."

"It's killing me to watch you hurting bad as you are."

"I know and everything you're doing is what's keep me going…means the… My mother did what she could but she didn't have the resources or strength you have, so I never had so much before from anybody…."

Then mumbled, "Wouldn't accept it from nobody else either."

Jess looked briefly at Slim, "I knew of my connection with Mike when he arrived but he was so young and had his hands full dealing with his own…seeing your parents brutally murdered in front of you at fifteen was bad enough. At 5… dadgum, Slim! So young and vulnerable….wide open and no experience to pull from. Mike needed..special handling…to control the depth of the damage."

Jess looked back down and toyed with a piece of dirt with his cane. "Didn't need my garbage added to his load."

"I don't know anyone more qualified to help him but you, Jess. You sure jumped in and knew what to do. Mike and I were both lucky you were here to help. Maybe something good came from all your pain….helping him from living through it to the same depth you had to overcome."

Jess looked thoughtfully at Slim for such a long time Slim began to fidget.

Slim offered, "You never considered some of those horrible experiences you had could produce something positive, have you? Like helping other people through theirs."

"I reckon not, Slim. It's a different perspective." Jess frowned slightly in a quizzical way.

"How do you do that?" He asked.

"Do what?" Slim cocked his head slightly needing more specifics.

"See bad things from such a positive outlook?"

"I don't know. Just always have."

"My mother was the same way…..she had such a shabby life … old, sickly parents who sold her off to an older, brutal bottom feeder, dirt poor and always having babies. Somehow, at least with me, she was always so happy and positive, friends with everyone. Never complained or had a bad word about anyone." Jess pulled the tatted hair decoration from his pocket and looked at it in the sunlight. "Maybe it was time Mike knew about what we share, that he's not alone either. He's more stable now than when he got here. It was a good talk."

"Like with Maggie?"

"Ya."

"Daisy said you got another package from her. That in it?"

"She found it all forgotten in the bottom of her sideboard. Said she taught my mother how to tatt…how to make these hair things and she was good at it. My mother made this one and gave it to her and she used to wear it all the time in Texas. She thought I'd like to have something my mother made." He held it for Slim to look it over.

Slim fingered it without any effort to take it. "Looks like a snowflake I saw plastered on a window once. How do they do something this delicate?"

"Don't know, women are delicate. She said Sasha's still running around the house whining and looking for me."

"How's Maggie doing?"

"She sounds all happy and busy, still writing the letter to my mom. Daggum thing'll probably be a book. Corral looks great. You think the stud and the geldings will get along that close?"

"He had geldings in the next pen beyond and in their remuda. Was a calm stud. Don't see much problem as long as there's no mares to start up something. We get into that line of business I'll have to probably move groups around, put up another barn for the girls. How's the body doing?"
"Coming along. Sleep's helping. Things are starting to itch everywhere."

"Doc told Daisy she could start pulling stitches when she feels they're ready."

"Maybe you could learn to do that part, too." Jess peered over at Slim with a hopeful look, then shrugged, "Or I can pull them myself. Can't be much to it. When are you starting on the front holding pens?"

"Tomorrow. Still have 3 workers and I've heard the line is cutting down on some of the runs, no more Sunday trips. Might pick up on some of the better drivers looking for work."

"Ya, well, just don't go hiring crazy until I'm back on my feet, will ya?"

"Can't wait, Jess. Nothin' I want more."

CHAPTER: 17 Double KBarS's Jr visits Sherman Ranch Sherman Harper Cattle Co becomes Sherman Harper Enterprises.

Junior arrived as planned a week later with the 2 bulls 10 heifers, riding Buck the stallion and backed up by 2 wranglers and one extra horse. Jess was still in braces but using just a cane and cleared to have begun doing strength and therapy exercises to bring his muscle tone back up and not yet released for horseback riding. Most of the stitches were gone but on the hip gash and he was down to small patches of bandages mostly for padding and dirt prevention. His attitude had taken a huge improvement and Slim finally began relaxing his nursing watch. Jess had written Maggie back 3 times and they kept a steady rotation of clothing for Sasha to sleep with. With some of Jess' money, they had purchased some matching furniture for the house including an upgrade in beds both in the house and in the bunkhouse. The men's cots were replaced with twin size mattress beds and the bunkbed was a full size sturdy bunkbed. There was a real couch, side tables with lamps in Daisy's favorite color of peach, and side chairs, the large dining table was put in the kitchen with extra planks for larger groups and they had moved the desk to the back wall. Daisy had managed to hang matching curtains throughout the house and they'd put down a nice braided run in the living room. So it still looked like the Sherman house, only spruced up some and not so tired looking. The new buckboard, the short wagon and a nice, new 4 person buggy with a small cargo area were neatly lined up along the hillside containing the cellar. Normally the buggy was kept in the barn, but they pulled it out for visitor space inside the barn if needed. The front holding pens across the drive were finished and had 4 evenly spaced planks along evenly spaced posts with real gates and the stage horses and their tack had been moved to the other hillside with a second water trough and pump dropped into the well's water table under the valley floor. Slim had been waiting down the road the direction Jr was coming a mile out in order to lead them in and direct the cattle to their designated pens with gates standing open. Jess stayed at the house to tend the morning stage and it was just pulling away and Jess had finished unharnessing the team tucking them in when Jr arrived with his troop. Like a well-oiled machine, these wranglers knew how to drop cattle into pens and they had it all done and gates closed within minutes, all cattle were diving into their water trough and hay bales.

Jr lit off Buck and jogged up to Jess who had just locked down the last gate. Jess was in the braces and alternating his cane between hands as needed, and when not using the cane he holstered it hooking the handle on the back side of his waist belt from the inside – it looked like a crooked tail at best but Jess was tired of carrying it around, yet the braces restricted his balance. The gun holster had not yet been given clearance by his hip's gash to be anywhere close, so there was no gun and the hat had been left in the house.

"Dadgum, Jess! Look at you all getting around. Lookin' great man!" Jr held his hand out and they shook hands and then did a "man-hug" whapping each other on the back. Jr's whap was stronger than Jess' nearly knocking him over and Jess had to counter catch himself on Buck's shoulder and covered it up by patting the stallion.

"Getting there, Jr. You have a easy ride in?" Jess was all smiles as Slim finally dismounted and joined them. Buck started sniffing Jess' back and bum then checking out the long stick hanging off his backside as though curious why a human on two legs would have such a stiff tail.

"Smooth as a neat shot of whiskey. Nice stretch of a ride and just enough to get the kinks outta a night's sleep. Nice place, Slim, this is tight and cozy, all in this valley…I really like it!" Buck, however, was on a safari tour and worked his way up Jess' back and sniffed his hair and took a nibble seeming fascinated by dark colored hay and Jess smiled without looking at the stallion and waved his hand at the stud's nose moving him off. Typical stallion….always nibbling and tasting.

"Well, it's not as grand as the Double KBarS, but it's home. We have the middle section over at the barn for Buck, can put your horses in with our geldings next to, or if you need, there's a smaller pen behind the barn, or we can put some inside the barn. We have enough room in our bunkhouse toward the back of the barn for your men and thought you could share the men's bedroom in the house with Mike, Jess and me. Daisy will have meals ready for the men in the bunkhouse as well. If you need something, please let us know."

"Sounds good to me. They will return home tomorrow and we will return back out here once we get the clear title done on the new property with a gang and a chuck wagon if we need to get started earlier. Figured we'd spend the remainder of this trip looking over your property and the new one, and get a feel for how much fencing we'd need to put in the next few weeks. Hard to believe, but sometimes that big spread back home gets a little big, if you know what I mean. This feels real nice. Better even to get that trail drive done, it's one of the bigger ones of the year, now we can relax down some. C'mon men."

He waved for his wranglers and they fell in behind him as they walked to the barn. As the three men walked together, the stallion followed like a puppy but fell into line behind Jess still sniffing his back and nibbling on his neck and ears which tickled and broke his concentration using the cane, tilting his head toward the tickle and he fell behind. That brought Buck up closer near even and he put his full muzzle at Jess' ear and softly snorted through his bit to moisten his nasal passages in order to get a clear scent reading. Jess, by this time, was fighting every instinct inside him to keep his feet on the ground and not jump on for a test ride against doctor's orders, so still trying to ignore the stud's curiosity, he softly blew from the side of his mouth into the stud's nostril answering the stud's inquiry for identification of a new male he'd identified. Jr felt Buck falling behind by the rein dragging tighter and stopped and Slim stopped and they both turned to look as Jess had finally stopped looking down at his feet trying to keep the stallion's hooves out of his boots running him over and was desperately trying to keep his hands off the stallion in full communication to settle him down. Seeing everyone else stop and look, Jess put on a "I'm not doing anything" look of innocence and raised his eyebrows. The wranglers behind them had to stop and the whole parade fell apart and everyone was looking at Jess and Buck. The wranglers had been watching the stud's exploration of Jess and they were all stifling laughs.

Slim rolled his eyes shaking his head, "You trying to pilfer my new horse, Jess?"

Jess didn't know the word "pilfer" and frowned then whispered in Buck's ear, "What's pilfer?"

Buck was happy getting a full whiff of Jess' breath to identify him and shook his head and Jess grinned, "You either, huh?" he cooed. Still in pure innocence Jess tried to deflect the attention, "You all still walk faster than me. Buck's just decided we needed introductions, ya know." Jess finally put his hand on the stud's jaw and coyly reached up to scratch him between the ears under the bridle's headband to distract the stud's brain waves. "We didn't get to meet during our first visit, remember?"

Buck liked what Jess did finding his itchy place and butted the back side of Jess' mending hip with his muzzle almost knocking Jess over and Jess dropped his elbow to cover any repeats at the hip joust. Jr was grinning from ear to ear watching what was playing out to see how far it would go. Jess tried to rebalance himself but it wasn't fast enough for Buck who then decided he'd found a human scratching post, dropped his head lower and began rubbing his forehead up and down on Jess' back and right shoulder. At first Jess braced his back against the stallion's forehead rub, but quickly found the vigorous intent would soon push him off the braces so he released his back brace allowing the stallion's rub push him forward. The movement pushed Jess back in line with Jr and Slim and Jess kept walking toward the corral as though nothing had happened. Buck followed concerned he was losing his itching post, but Slim and Jr were still watching standing still and Jess turned around curious why no one was walking, raising one hand palm upward indicating 'well?' Buck followed his human scratcher but got to the end of his reins and had to stop causing his back end to float forward to the side and he flicked his ears back and forth waiting for instructions. Slim and Jr grinned at each other and started to follow Jess. One of the wranglers walked over and took Buck's reins to tuck him in and Jr cued him what to do. "Buck goes in the middle section, the rest of the horses in the pen left of him. Slim, probably be good to put your two in the back or the barn, keep them clean from our trail dust." Junior grabbed a hanging bag off his saddle horn at the last minute as Buck was lead off and Jr hung the bag over his shoulder.

Slim quickly grabbed two halters and leads and moved Traveler into the barn taking Alamo with him to unsaddle. While gone he showed one of the wranglers where the bunkhouse was while Jr and Jess latched onto the new fence and slouched leaning on it.

Jr took his hat off and wiped his brow and reset the hat and slapped Jess on the back again, "So how far have you gotten, horse yet? Looked like you were ready to take a test ride."

Jess wove himself into the fence as support and shook his head slightly side to side neither admitting nor denying the temptation's depth on his soul.

"Can actually put weight down on the leg without it caving and the Doc's happy but says I'm still limited until end of next week. He's got me doing rehab exercises to bring my muscles back to strength and endurance before he'll release me. It's hard to wait, but I ain't going to mess up….been too hard being grounded this long."

"Ya, I believe that. Darn, can't believe how much better you look. Dad'll be happy…heck, Mom'd be in 7th heaven if she could see you. Got back from the drive and they were both still flying high from your visit. Mom's been a different person. Never seen her so at peace and bubbly. It's like 20 years just dropped off her and she's young again. Never seen my dad cry either, but he gets all choked up talking about how she's back to what she was like when he married her."

Jess frowned ever so slightly with a deep look on his face, "He say what happened or why?"

"Said Mom had a long talk with you the afternoon before you left and then something you did when you all were saying goodbyes just broke the weight she'd apparently been carrying. Goes way back to Texas days near the time I was born, so I don't remember any of that stuff. I take it she was close to your mom or something. I just don't ever remember seeing her this happy, I mean, she's always been terrific I thought, but now, Wow! I guess she's more like Di is today, all curious and into things, going and doing things, she's eating better and put on a few pounds…which she needed. It's like a whole, new mom."

"Your mom's a very special lady, Jr. You're a lucky man." Jess replied looking down at his boot happy for his friend and at the same time sad missing the same experience.

"Was she able to help you any?" Jr noticed the shadow that crossed Jess' face.

Jess was still looking at the ground and around the corral watching the stud dive into his hay stash, "Her and my mom were close friends, like Slim and me, but couple years after your folks moved from Texas my mom was um…" he gazed briefly off at the distance, "…murdered." Jess looked back down, "I was 15 and we'd had a hard life until she died. I never knew your mom existed before our visit and it was much like seeing my mother again. We connected." nodding his head slightly.

"Well, she's already adopted you and I couldn't be happier about that." Jr gave Jess' hand on the fence a fist bump when Slim walked back up to them and they both looked toward him.

"I showed your men the bunkhouse and Daisy was already bringing their food out to them. Last stage came through before you got here, so we're clear for the evening. You want to go inside?

Been sitting, Slim. I could stand awhile if Jess can."

"I'm good." Jess was telling half a truth, but he'd gotten himself propped against and woven himself well into the pole fence.

"Got some things up front, before we get inside with manners."

"I'm all ears." Slim offered.

"Dad got the name of the agent for the property and standard protocol in his business, the attorney hired a survey team and a title search on the property and while at it, Dad had them survey your ranch, too, and did a title search. Do you know if you have mineral rights to the ground under your property, Slim?"

"No, what are mineral rights?"

"When most people buy land, they typically only think width and length, acres and sections, which is fine. But property also contains depth, which is the ground below the surface for miles. In that depth is things like water shed, mineral deposits, gas and oil."

"Like gold or silver?" Slim asked.

"Exactly. And if the buyer isn't particularly knowledgeable, they can be sold property that is only the width and length while the previous owner retains the depth and all mineral rights below ground. So technically, you could own the soil, but no deeper than a specified measure, maybe 30 feet. When Dad buys property, he is sure he's buying the whole package including air rights to 500-1000 feet overhead. That's why they do a title search to find out what the purchase contains. The survey team actually goes out and measures the width and length by landmarks, or when landmarks are not permanent like a boulder, they set in ground markers. That way there's no inadvertent trespassing."

"Sounds smart. My dad bought the property, so I don't know other than what he told me."

"We thought so, 's why Dad ordered up the research. We have some of that information in hand which I'll go over with you and then we'll have markers for when we go viewing the land and know for certain where the rights to it are. Also, this research provides me with information for parceling land according to drainage and flood zones, for setting up pastures and buildings."

"Wow." Jess was impressed.

"Can you give me a bottom line now?" Slim's over analytical mind was now worried.

"Sure. The good news is you actually own, or your sections are somewhat larger than a normal section due to the geography and rock structures. So your ranch is more like 5.5 sections. Also, good to know, your dad was smart and he bought all the mineral rights under the ground plus he got a good deal on the road easements. So you're better than you knew. The proposed purchase land is about the same, it's slightly larger than 15 sections but it didn't include all the mineral rights below and Dad's attorney will specify getting that included, and there are no formal road easements in place yet, so it's all pasture and you can design your own roadways. Now all we have to do is confirm by sight what the property lays out like and the type of vegetation already growing to see what it can support pasture-wise. That's what we'll be looking at on this trip, and then I have maps with me so we can develop some sort of layout or flow. Then with you all's approval, Dad will have his attorney do the deal and finalize it."

"How long does it take to finalize?"

"Closing can be as fast as 30 days or if disputed, can take years. This attorney Dad works with is typically fast and no arguments. 't's why Dad hires him."

"Sounds like you all are very interested in this deal, too." Jess offered.

"Ya, Dad's a hound on a blood trail with this one. He smells money and when he smells money, dust does not gather at his feet, believe me! I'm just thrilled I get to work with you two. I've wanted that from the first moment I saw this guy.." patting Jess' back again but softer this time, "ride up to our herd. Now….we can relax and have some fun. I'm ready to go in."

"Well, let's go!" Slim held out his hand directing traffic, Jess untangled himself from the fence and they all started to march into the house when Jr remembered the bag over his shoulder.

"OH! One thing…more." Slim and Jess looked over at Jr. who was smiling ear to ear. "I don't know what you've done with Sasha, you know Kenzie's dog, but she is just NOT the same dog, Jess." Then as an add on thought, "Actually, neither is Mom as I said. Anyway, Mom said for 3 weeks after you left, this dog ran herself out constantly trotting circles through the house sniffing every door way, all the closets and beds and whining. They couldn't get her to eat for 4 days and now mopes and won't leave the bed you slept on. Only eats half the food they put down. Mom said if it weren't for your packages, they couldn't get any food down her and she will only eat if the current piece of cloth is sitting next to her food bowl on the bed. Mom's wearing out our stable guy, Larry, putting out the buggy everyday so she can drive to town to check the mail. Sasha won't let her in the door without checking her hands out and gets all excited if the mail has something from you. I guess she smells your scent or something. As I was telling Jess, Slim, Mom's not far behind that. Before your visit we could hardly get her out of the house once a month, now she's out every day, always the mail check, then visiting people and doing lady meetings with the church. Dad said she was nearly jumping up and down when she got your first letter and actually stood in the dining room and cried when she got your second one. She carries all of them around tucked into her skirt pocket every day. I'm supposed to find out if you're out of peach jelly yet while I'm here. Here,…." Jr tossed the bag at Jess thumping it against Jess' chest as it landed and he caught it. "…..this is the next installment. Don't know what you did, Jess, but you sure had a powerful effect on the Wentworth girls. I've never seen my mother so happy. At least when I hug her she doesn't feel hollow and her face is so… well pinkish like. Hey, how far away is that supper?

Slim grinned at the still stunned Jess and offered Jr a directional gesture toward the house.

"Right in there. C'mon. Daisy's been cooking all day."

They left Jess standing in the middle of the yard staring down at the bag in his arm, leaning on his cane mumbling to himself,

"It was just a couple letters. Gunna hafta buy more clothes, Sash…."

Jess eventually arrived in the house but had to put the unopened bag on his bed and sit right down at the supper table because Daisy was just bringing their hot food out.

The wranglers pulled out at dawn the next morning after handing off a 3' tube about 3" in diameter to Jr. It contained rolled up maps. Slim had a neighbor rancher cover the stage schedule for the day, so Jr and Slim on horseback and Jess on the new buckboard took off with a packed lunch and some tools, a long coiled rope and the maps Jr had brought on their survey quest. They looked over the proposed purchase property first at Jr's idea to try to keep their snooping early in the day before people might get around and see them showing interest in the property and drive the price up, but it took the morning to see the whole property because Jr would get off his horse and inspect the vegetation or the ground or use his binoculars and then take notes. It also took time because Jess was having to drive over open country with no roads and go around boulders or trees to catch up and he was getting bounced around. From the sheer inconvenience, he was doing his dead level best to maintain his temper still not free to ride a horse and keep up, but the brutal bouncing didn't help his temper. Jr stopped on a knoll and reached for the saddle horn preparing to dismount when Slim gestured for him to stop while looking over his shoulder seeing Jess off about 500 yards trying to get the buckboard around a boulder and catch up.

"Ya, Slim?"

"Quick question while we …" He gestured at Jess and Jr nodded in understanding and sat still. "Did you really ask Jess what it would take to get him to hire on at the Double KBarS?"

"Ya, first night of the drive day we met. I knew Dad had been looking for a guy with that name, but Jess' cowboying was better'n we'd ever had on the ranch all my growing up. I was going to send word back to Dad so's he could come see if this was the right Jess and needed to know what it'd take so when I talked to Dad, we could decide how much we could afford to offer." Jr was up front and not the kind to hold secrets.

"So….tell me.." Slim gestured for Jr to lean in, "What did Jess ask for?" Slim's curiosity had been eating the pockets off his pants, nearly through the britches themselves and ready to commence on his bare bum.

Jr smiled big realizing there had been some discussion, "He chuckled and told me he was happy, something about 'belonging' and 'good fence posts set deep'. And then had the audacity to say, to the foreman of the Double KBarS mind you, that I couldn't afford him." Jr took off his hat and scratched his head, then replaced the hat while smiling still in disbelief at Jess' words.

"You….couldn't afford….." Slim echoed in disbelief pointing first to Jr, then to Jess.

"….couldn't afford him….." Jr finished the echo. "yep, belonging to fence posts, couldn't afford him. Imagine that will ya?"

Slim was astonished, but then shook his head, sounded like Jess-words. "But you still asked your dad?"

"Oh, you bet I did. Just his riding alone, I wasn't going to give up easy." Jr rubbed his chin scruff that was itching, "Once Dad saw him and confirmed it was the same Jess, then rode the trail that afternoon studying Jess' workmanship, he wasn't going to either."

"Did you two shoot him an offer later?"

"Ya, did. Pulled him aside when I paid him at the end of the drive. Was the only one I gave a bonus on that drive. Why don't you ask Jess?" Jr was beginning to smell a potential sore spot and not wanting to get caught in the middle, cut to the chase.

"Did." Slim looked past Jr into the distance and Jr nodded slightly confirming his suspicion.

"What'd he say?"

"Jess um….keeps things close to his vest. Confidences are so solid with him….if he doesn't want to tell or sees some reason not to, or someone asks, then nobody's going to know and you can't torture it out of him."

"And you don't respect that?"

"Oh, hell, yes. 's why I trust him with everything I got and why I never want to lose him, for any reason. My dad and I were close, but what's between Jess and me? In integrity? I've never met anywhere."

Jr tilted his hat back on his head, leaned his forearm on his saddle horn and his other arm on that then sought solid eye contact with Slim.

"Let me put it this way, Slim. Just the short time I've had with Jess, how I read him from what he's said and done, and Dad, too, once Jess sticks with something the issue is it's not how much it takes to get him away, it's what it takes to keep him. That's the true price. When you lose the "keep him" part, you will lose Jess….nothing else will cause that separation. If he had a mind to leave, nothing, nobody and no amount of cash or prizes could hold him or tempt him away. Money's not his motivation like it is with most people."

"That'd be because he never had anything growing up, "things" never got ahold of him." Slim contemplated out loud. "He seems more bent toward doing what's right, or helping people, either the one who's in the right, or the one who has the odds stacked against them."

"Dad and I both read that, too, and envy you that you've been able to work your way inside Jess. Dad actually started out more than green with envy, he was peeved he didn't get Jess first and furious at himself mostly for not following his instincts when Jess was a kid. I can't fill up one hand counting the mistakes my Dad's made my whole life, but that was one. But we had to settle on just being patient and wait in line. More I guess like I told Dad, we have to earn our way in…much like I'm sure you had to."

Slim raised his eyebrows and half nodded remembering those first several months when he met Jess.

"Ya!..." he paused, "come to think….those first few months were a tight rope. He doesn't open up OR trust quickly and believe me, he had absolutely no mind for settling some wheres. We still sometimes bump heads, but what I found early on, no matter how set he is when he starts, he will listen. BUT, what you say has to hold up in the end, or you drop down on his list for the next go around. Holds your feet to the fire. And it's collective, the more times he finds you're right, the better your chances on the next."

"Yes, hears past the words and listens to the deeds. Probably why he's survived. You're one lucky man, Slim. And you just beat us to him….but we're still not giving up. Jess needs more than one pard. It takes a team, remember? And a pack is safer than the loner."

"Learning that quicker you think, Jr." Slim was resigned, finding peace with Jr's answers. Slim sat up straighter in his saddle as though the pine cone had just hit him in the back like it did as they camped out coming home. In his own way Jess was telling him the answer back there. And he had understood Jess' pine cone accurately. It had been yet another communication without words.

Jr shifted in his saddle pulling one leg up and crossing it over the saddle horn and re leaning on his leg. "You're not such a bad catch either, Slim. You didn't already have a ranch, I'd be after hiring you, too. You both are from the same DNA genetically on the inside. 's why you're so compatible. You just have the advantage due to a more solid rearing and puts you slightly ahead of Jess, and he's ahead of you in panache and drive, so you balance each other. Dad and I want to work with you at your level just as much as wanting to be in Jess' life where he's at. It's almost like a two-fer deal… ...like the two bulls we just delivered. Pretty sure that's why Dad threw in the second bull. You two made a whale of a deal, believe me. We make tons of money on our beef. But, he sees you both as viable partners he's determined to have in his life, one "bull is just 5 months younger"."

"And fixing to pass me up, eh?" Slim grinned at the memory of the bull pen.

"Well, we'll see what tomorrow holds. I think finding you and getting you in on this deal and the potential relationship that will grow, really excited Dad and made up for you getting Jess first. Otherwise, you'd have found a formidable opponent in vying for Jess and truth be known, you could've lost Jess had Dad gotten down in deep. He's got connections and experience beyond the three of us combined, and he's got Mom who's already adopted Jess, she's just not thrown the party yet. But he's also ruled by integrity which held him back. The years have taught him to look at the bigger picture of seeing the potential in you, and then you as Jess' partner, MORE than what he could have done for Jess by himself had he stayed focused on his first intent of helping Jess as the toddler grown into adult. He said something you told him the first afternoon about you and Jess being more in a sum total, hit him so deeply and hard realizing that there was more to this than just making up for his mistake with the kid named Jess. Yes, we offered Jess an assistant foreman position jumping him up past people who've worked on the Double KBarS for over 30 years because he's more qualified at handling responsibility plus the instant rapport he had with the men was uncanny. You know he took charge of the group of men handling their section of cattle on that drive in the first hours and they'd have followed him off a cliff? You can't find people skills like that very easy, or even teach it. It's either there or it's not. Anyway, it would've positioned him right under me to follow me as Dad eases into retirement. Our offer came with one hell of a compensation package including a retirement program and health benefits both through our cattleman's' association that Dad's just initiated; plus vacations plus a salary nearly matching my own as an owner/ foreman and son of one of the largest spreads in Wyoming and Colorado. But my Dad believed if Jess saw something in you that he wouldn't even consider THAT offer to leave you, then he would be wise to look, too. He read that Jess considered you more valuable than the offer we made. It was a huge, difficult thing for him to admit someone or some grouping as a partnership could do more for Jess than he could do with all he's built through the years. For him to admit that, is nigh on a miracle, but it's the wisdom he's gained through years of experience that's taught him to look beyond himself – because he listens, too, like Jess. We couldn't believe Jess declined the offer until Dad heard what you said that afternoon. By making that declaration, you had proved Jess' perceptivity about you, and loyalty to you, was correct and at the same time, earned your standing as a source of wisdom. It stunned him that it came from a source in someone as young as you and he was determined from that point on to have you in on this arrangement if it cost him more than it did. He wasn't going to make the same mistake a second time, like when he walked away from Jess as a kid. He said he realized that had he been involved with Jess as a kid, he would have never met you and had the opportunity that's now on the table between us. It seemed meant to be that Jess, forced to survive on his own, brought more to the table by his relationship with you, than had he grown up with our family as a single resource. Now, all of us combined are and will be much richer and better as human beings because Jess was able to survive on his own plus find and then land his relationship with someone of your caliber. Dad believes you two wouldn't have had any connection at all had you two met when Jess was the rough hewn 5 year old and that growing up on his own taught Jess things my dad could never have given him. So it just proves his philosophy in life that the greater investment and return is in the people that makes life worth all the effort, and it's not the money. Jess seems well rooted in that already. So, just saying Slim,…" Jr unwound himself from his saddle, "… don't count yourself so lightly. My father's nobody's fool." Jr smiled genuinely and didn't wait for Slim to comment. He got down handing his reins to Slim looking up at him stated, "Neither is Jess." He then dug a note pad and binoculars out of his saddle bags and with his hat still pushed back on his head, walked a short way to inspect the grass and type of hay the land was producing.

Slim was stunned and had nothing to say to Jr, frowning to himself looking like a deer caught in headlights but mumbled to himself,

"But getting me in this deal, Chuck still landed Jess anyway… through me. He's no fool, for sure. That's a shrewd and genius business move….only now I've seen his hand and can still have Jess' back."

Jess caught up to Slim and pulled the team to a halt, locked the foot brake, stood up stiffly in the foot box, stuffing the reins upward under his waist belt, rubbing his bum and scanned the area for Jr on foot.

"Dadgum, Slim, I don't know what'd be worse, getting beat to death bouncing on this buckboard or going ahead and risk riding." He whimpered. "Hurtin' myself bouncing around on these boards. Are we getting any where's close to the answers yet?"

Jess was his usual dusty mess only now he was covered with weed flowers clinging to his clothes and when he took his hat off, his hair was plastered down in a sweaty mess with rivers of sweat running down onto his face. He looked like he'd been tarred and feathered only with sweat, pollen and weed flowers. Jess wiped his forehead with the tail of his bandana still tied around his neck but the full load of pollen that fluffed from the folds of his bandana flew into his face and caused his eyes to begin to water. He sneezed downwind so suddenly that his hands flew out to the side and propelling him backward so hard he almost fell over the back of the bench and had to claw for the side handles to stay vertical. Next he snuffed the sneeze to the back of his throat and half blind from tears and pollen spit it out over the side of the buckboard aiming for behind Alamo. Slim could see the developing incoming and without any noticeable moves he nudged Alamo a few steps forward and swung his rear to the side into safety and Alamo's ears stood forward watching the mess that ejected overboard. Jess brought his hand up to wipe the dust and pollen from his eyes only his gloved hands were dusty, too, and it stung making things even worse. So next he considered the wrist band of his undershirt but they were too dirty and he had to quickly divert to pull his shirt tail out and wipe his eyes. For several moments Slim sat staring shaking his head sideways slowly in an amused disbelief at the disheveled mess griping in his face going through the inventory of what he was wearing looking for some scrap of clean as being the same person Jr had been discussing, and whom the Double KBarS couldn't afford.

Jess stopped yammering, thinking he'd cleared his eyes, put his hands on his hips and stared back frowning, "Slim!"

Slim was still processing everything that Jr had just revealed including how much Jess had turned down to stay with him. 'Vacation?' Slim couldn't remember ever having a vacation himself.

"SLIM!" Jess tried louder waving his fingers in Slim's face since standing in the wagon made him nearly as tall as Slim sitting on a horse. His eyes started burning again, and Jess smothered a curse at the burn, and had to divert another hurricane force sneeze overboard the other side because he couldn't see through the burning and tears where the end of the foot box was not wanting to fall overboard.

Slim calmly tossed his canteen into Jess's chest who looked at the canteen through watering eyes as though it was a new invention, shook it several times because being Slim's canteen, it was full and therefore no slushing sounds. Jess then turned it over and over looking with half shut burning eyes for some entry point to this object Slim thought would be of benefit.

"I think he's pretty much gotten what he's looking for, says the ragweed is especially bad this year." Slim couldn't help grinning.

"Ya? And just how in the name of all creation did he figure that out?" Jess retorted sarcastically.

"Sure is beautiful land. I hope we get it. You hot?"

Slim watched Jess who had found the cap and was fighting to unscrew it with slippery hands. Jess muttered in disgust at the tight lid,

"It's just dadgum water, Slim!"

He eventually got it opened and emptied the canteen pouring it over his head, face and neck. Finally blinking somewhat clear in focus, looked down next to his feet letting the water drip off, he recoiled as though a rattlesnake was on his feet in the foot box with him. Looking closer he saw the butt end of another canteen. He tossed Slim's empty one over his head into the cargo box and dove in head first, his bum in the air, digging for the one at his feet. He had to rifle through some paper trash, small broken limbs of no value and a couple of empty glass bottles which he checked for alcoholic fluid and not finding any, littered pitching them all over his head overboard what hadn't been cleaned out of the foot box yet. From a small distance it looked like a dog was digging a hole in dirt with the dirt flying out behind him. Then he repeated the watering process over his eyes leaning out over the side of the wagon he'd found with his boot toe and Slim backed Alamo one more step out of the way of the flying debris and splashing water.

"Ya, dadgum ears are on so on fire..…stick my head in a lake….ain't there any water on this property?"

Jess wasn't aware that your ears burn when someone is talking about you and Slim grinned. Then he muttered, "Daggone buckboard moves too slow, ain't no breeze." Then somewhat louder and pointing to the floorboard shuffling his feet with indignation, "And I'm gunna have a little chat with who ever left my new wagon in that kind of mess!"

Finally, Jess got some relief and stood back up shaking his head like a wet dog climbing out of a lake. Slim handed him his dry bandana and Jess began drying his face.

"And I wouldn't know about beautiful 'cause I've been too busy plowing weeds and pollen. I hope he comes up with a plan for roads….or... somebody else can drive the dadgum chuck wagon!"

Somehow unbelievably, the reins were still tucked under Jess' waist belt, now half covered by the hanging shirt tail and Jess was doused from his head down to his knees in what was now wet pollen. He saw the bench's pillow on the floor under the bench and stooped to pick it up, but seeing it filthy, decided to leave it untouched.

"Maybe you should've put a pillow on that bench, you know, for your poor bum." Slim teased, not knowing the pillow was really in the wagon.

"Ya, ok, real funny. Wouldn't be laughing if it was you sitting here and me up there. My bum is curved proper to sit a horse, not this flat wood!" gesturing animatedly at the bench he was leaning on and rubbing his bum with the other hand.

"I'm trying to figure out how we can get back to the ranch from here, through our land and still miss that bend in the road where…" Slim had been avoiding driving the same road where the accident had occurred because he was still beating himself up for all of Jess' pain.

"No! I WANT to go back that way, Slim. I…need to see it. Maybe it'll help me get rid of that nightmare." Jess countered while offering Slim his soiled bandana back and looking directly in Slim's face, " 'Sides, I got this feelin' I need to go back there, like I dropped something while I was out and lost it.." Slim held his hand up declining to touch the filthy thing. Jess continued, "… need to find it."

He trailed off as Jr arrived back and tucked his binocular and notepad back into the saddlebag. Jr glanced at Jess in a mess and grinned but wisely said nothing. Jess looked at the bandana, shook it out downwind and shrugged, then blew his nose in it and Slim grimaced and rolled his eyes at seeing his brand new, company-best bandana being fouled. Jess finished blowing then started to fold and tuck it under his belt on the other side, but decided at the last moment to throw it in the foot box and then wiped his hands off on the back of his thighs. Forgetting where they were, he then started looking around the front of the wagon for the reins, not finding them wrapped around the brake handle, ran into them firmly anchored under his belt and tugged them loose. Looking sad and dejectedly at the bench seat, Jess decided to stay standing until the last possible moment and looked like he was going to drive it chariot style.

"Ok, I got what I need. How about your land, Slim, or do you want to stop for lunch?"

"We can stop at the lake on the way back to eat, but Jess wants to go by way of the bend in the road where the accident happened." Slim's voice was tentative.

"Works for me." Jr affirmed and mounted Buck.

"Slim, here, don't want to go back there, Jr." Jess threw in trying to be sensitive to the stress he saw suddenly raise its ugly head in Slim.

"I'll go with ya, Jess. Slim can ride around the spot, set up lunch and we'll meet up on down the road." Jr offered, "I'd really like to see what it took to tear you up so much. Had to be some kind of embankment. Maybe it needs to be graded and banked so stagecoaches don't start pitching over it."

That got Slim's attention. "What do you mean, graded and banked?"

Jr used his hand and drew in the air an angle, "Well, let's see…how do I explain. You get a bunch of shovels and lengthen the curve so it's not so sharp, then angle it down on the inside curve. That gives a pitch to whatever's going through the curve back off on the inside of the curve and away from the off side drop off down the ravine. I'll take a look when we get there and then draw you a picture if it can be done. Makes a road a ton more safe. Less chance of getting sued should say a stagecoach pitch over dumping passengers down off the embankment. Stage Line Company should be happy to pay for that, too, wouldn't cost your ranch anything." He settled aboard Buck. "Shall we go?"

Slim's responsible-driven integrity began to win out over his in trepidation, "You learn all that in land management school?"

"Yep. Love it! Which way?"

"You got a plan for roads on this property, yet?"

Taking one last look at the hard bench, Jess gingerly sat down on the front edge and whapped the reins on the bums of the horses and fell in behind the two riders. The wagon immediately ricocheted off an embedded rock,

"Ow!" then muttering under his breath, "Dadgum horse'd be bett" shouting "….ow!…where's my horse!"

"Actually, yes I do…been marking it on the maps." Jr called over his shoulders. "You want to test drive Buck before I hand him over, Jess?"

"Oh daggum, Jr, don't tempt me!" Jess looked up severely tempted, his face tormented.

"PLEASE!" Slim pleaded. "He gets on Buck I will never get him off."

"Be a darn beautiful sight, though." Jr was off in day dream land in his mind seeing Jess handle Buck. "Ya know, Jess, I could get a filly off one of our stud/mare matchings and give her to you to add to your Wentworth women collection." Jr teased.

"Don't start him down that road." Slim pleaded. "He's already got his hands full with the women thing."

Jess was falling behind a little out of earshot range. "What women, where!?" Hitting another rock nearly pitched him over the edge of the buckboard,

"OWW! Dadgumit!"

Jr and Slim laughed and kicked their horses into a collected trot only aggravating Jess who fell further behind. "Hey, guys…..'at's not fair! Slow down will ya!"

They arrived at the curve in the road where the accident happened within a few minutes and Jess angled and parked the buckboard at the top where he could drop a rope he'd thrown into the back off the back wheel so he could repel down. He locked the brake down tight and tied the horses to the trees, then put stabilizing rocks on both sides of the wheels. Jr was already calculating walking in large circles surveying the bend,

"Oh, heck ya, this corner should have been graded and banked from the get go….it's a wonder nobody's been killed so far. Wouldn't take much either, there's enough land around it…..maybe take out a few more trees for visibility so's there's no oncoming collisions either. Shouldn't take more'n 10 guys and a few days, tops. Hey, Jess. Wait for me."

Slim was still sitting on Alamo up the incline before the bend, frozen in place from the horror of his memories nearly losing Jess. Jr looked back from the top of the rope and saw Slim's frozen jaw and with a ghastly white face, "Hey, Slim, why don't you monitor us from here and help pull us back up, ok?"

"Ya." it was a non-committal tone and Slim's eyes were glazing over.

Jess was only two paces down the rope below Jr and heard Slim's tone and looked at Slim's frozen face and he frowned. Jr started backing without looking and ran into Jess who was now studying Slim's face and mumbled out of Slim's earshot, "Dadgum."

"What?" Jr turned and saw Jess studying Slim.

"Never seen that before." He murmured.

"Never seen what?" Jr looked back at Slim.

"Slim. Frozen like that. Daisy was right."

"About what?"

"She says Slim was hurt in this accident much as me. Maybe more. Only his was on the inside where he lives, on being accountable and all." Jess was stunned. Slim never froze, his analytical mind was always jumping into the solution and fixing things.

"Are YOU ready to go face it, Jess? I don't have to. Don't push your body either." Jr was becoming concerned. Jess started down and Jr followed.

"No I'm not ready, but it's got to be done. And we'll go slow…really slow, so's I have something to come back up with. Had steady nightmares about this accident but I never land. Just something calling me and I need to…do this, get it over with….." starting to repel.. "there's something down there unfinished and it's eating me worse than facing the fear. Not good at 'xplaining, Jr."

Jr started down immediately following Jess, "No, I get it. When I was a teenager, got gored by a bull once when we were branding. Got me right where the leg joins my body. Whewey! Talk about hurt. I couldn't walk straight for years. Took a while before I'd get on the ground with one again."

They reached the first pile and looked around.

"Some good lumber there." Jr commented.

"Ya" and Jess was off to the second pile, the wire spool. He looked around this one at a little further distance and began picking up pieces of his ripped up gloves, then letting them fall back to the ground in their shreds through his fingertips.

"Dadgum." He mumbled… "no wonder." Unconsciously he rubbed his right hip near the gash and down his thigh at the injury sites that were freshly peeling scabs, tender baby pink new skin and itching from the pollen and dust.

"Never dance with a spool of wire, Jess." He noticed Jess rubbing his hip gash area with the back edge of his hand and gestured at it,

"Dad said you got nabbed bad there. You um…got any permanent….I mean you can still have kids, right?"

The question drew attention to what he was doing and Jess shook his hand and brushed his knee off.

"Huh? Ya, 'at part's ok….doggone scab's peeling and itching fierce and this pollen ain't helping."

Jess looked up the rope and saw Slim now standing at the top near the wagon wheel tie off and watching them and looked quickly at Jr gesturing toward Slim covertly.

"Hey, Jr. Look up."

Jr looked up briefly, "Attaboy, Slim. I knew he was deep."

"Oh, that ain't the half, Jr. Ain't another one like him. Solid gold."

Jess inched his way all the way down to the broken buckboard. This one took a while to turn loose of the rope and stand closer and Jr stayed back giving Jess space and time he needed.

"Wow. Ya, don't remember this one at all. No wonder Slim's…what a mess."

Finally Jess walked past the broken wagon and peered over the edge at the final drop off, shaking his head, and backed quickly to a rock near the tailgate, sat down. He sat there a solid five minutes studying the broken wagon pieces and debris strewn everywhere, noting the dark areas of dried blood then frowned and looked a second time at the flour bag Slim had reported where his head had been. The flour bag was a different color of brown than the dried blood areas and it was not dry. Jess frowned harder and slowly knelt forward removing his glove. At the top of the embankment, Slim frowned and tensed, leaning forward slightly seeing Jess move into the area of the wagon that he knew was less stable, and under his breath Slim murmured and walked in a tight circle.

"Stop, Jess! Oh!.dadgum! Stop…Please." Slim sucked air in between his teeth and his hands were firmly gripped in a tight ball.

"Please Jess! Not safe. Can't ….lose you again…" Slim was fighting tears from memories from when the doctor was trying to stop the bleeding so they could transport Jess back up the embankment. Jess touched the wet, brown flour bag with his fingertip.

"Hey, Jr., come look at this, tell me what you see."

Keeping low to the ground Jr inched closer and knelt down also feeling the bag, then sniffed his finger.

"Oh, gosh darn..…Jess.! You know what this smells like?"

"Smells awful."

"Here, help me pull this bag up on its end this direction."

Slim really began fidgeting at the top continued pacing walking in tight circles. From their knees Jess and Jr gingerly lifted one end of the bag vertically and soggy as it was, it held together. On the ground directly beneath it was a small pool of black, tarry liquid slowly gurgling. The pool was only about 8 inches in diameter and Jr grabbed a stick and shoved it down in the middle of the pool where the stick went in all 18" inches up to Jr's fingers. Jr crept to the edge of the embankment and looked to the floor below which was about 20 more feet. It was dead grass and very dark and shadowy looking earth. Wide eyed, Jr looked at Jess who was dipping his finger in the pool and sniffing his sample.

"Dad gum, Jess. All this land from the embankment off the edge is Slim's ranch, right?"

"Ya. Actually the other side of the road another 50 feet, this embankment and off that way into the section. Heard him tell someone he's got easement rights on that bend. What is this? I know I've smelled it before, when I was a kid back in Texas."

"It's crude oil, Jess. I'm almost certain. The hole goes down, not back up the hill. Damn mineral rights report don't list knowledge of this. Your landing here musta jarred this pocket open and it's been capped by the flour sack since. Could be a feeder line to what's so dark down over the edge." Jr stood up and yelled up the embankment to Slim. "Is there a metal container in the wagon, Slim?"

Slim held up a finger and went to look in the wagon coming back to the edge with a canteen and a covered bucket their lunch had been packed in. He held up one in each hand.

"Jr. Slim's got two, which one you want?" Jr looked up and found Slim was backing down the embankment with both of them, his curiosity had overcome his memory. It didn't take Slim long to shimmy down either…he knew the path.

Slim landed and released the end of the rope. "What's going on?"

Slim looked around their bodies at the bottom of the vertically sitting flour bag and saw the black liquid pool. "What's that smell?"

Jr looked at Jess. "You tell him…you found it."

Jess stood up and backed Slim up sitting him down on the boulder he'd been sitting on.

"Now, Slim, keep breathing, ok?"

"Jess!" Slim was getting peeved.

"Jr thinks there's a pocket of crude oil down in that ravine and this is a feeder line. The flour sack was capping it. Did you move the flour sack here?"

"No, Jess, you were laying on it when I got down here..…well, your head and upper half. Saved you from whacking your head on the rocks, killing you."

"I want to take samples in these containers and I'll take it back to Dad's chemist to assay it for purity." Jr grabbed the canteen from Slim's hands.

"How do you know how much is under the ground?" Slim queried.

"Hafta dig core samples, right, Jr.?" Jess' childhood memories were returning.

"That's right. We'll have to bring out some men and equipment and dig core samples all around here…and the property on the other side of the road we're looking at buying. Find out how big this pocket is and how far down to get into it. Takes some money, but if you have a good size cavity of it below, you could be sitting on a gold mine."

Slim slumped on the rock dumbfounded and looked back and forth between Jess and Jr. They sat back down, too, in a three way stun.

"Dad was just telling me when I got back from the drive, he'd been talking to his land attorney who's got all these inside connections about industries headed west. Talk was, they have found a way to refine crude oil but it produces a by-product of kerosene oil which burns a ton brighter than whale and coal oil everyone's uses now in lamps and such. That seems to be the most interest right now in crude and there's a refinery that's looking at Wyoming because some wells have been recently found out here." Jr looked at Jess and Slim in unbelief. "Well, Jess was telling me coming down here he felt something here was unfinished and calling at him. You have any idea, Slim, your ranch could be sitting on an oil well?"

"None. My dad was a cattleman. Pure cattle. Nothing else ever crossed his mind. 'sides, there's still a lot of 'if, ands or buts' in this. What would a well do to the surrounding ground?"

"Depends on if we work from the ravine rather than from up here. If we work the ravine, like as not, never see a change up here. Might be messy at first, but once it's pumping it'd just be a small pen with a rig and a road leading in and out. The refining's done off site."

Jess had gotten very quiet, sitting on a log just off the broken wagon and staring at the gurgling hole and back at the broken wagon pieces. Slim was closest and reached over jabbing Jess' shoulder.

"Just something down here unfinished, huh?"

Jess' gaze didn't shift and he spoke with a low voice in a thoughtful manner. "The um… farm share my folks had in the panhandle was never really worked by my dad and brothers. One day my dad had been gone almost a week so I could get a ways away from the house. I found one of these pools under a rock I'd moved trying to catch a lizard, ran and got my mom and showed it to her. She got all panicky and made me swear to never tell anybody, especially my dad, and she covered it back up with every stone we could drag. She was terrified what my dad would become if he ever came into money. After the accident, I had no intentions of every coming back out here, you know, take the road and all, but not come down the embankment. I don't remember much past the first roll, so there was really no bad memory of being down here, just never landing. But after we got back from the trip to the Double KBarS, and all the memories that woke up, it's just nagged at me to get all the way down here for some reason."

Slim added, "You think your mom was trying to tell you to come out here?"

"She's the only person who knew about that pool I'd found, the "lizard pool" she called it." Jess smiled at Slim and then Jr. "I dunno, Slim. Never been one to believe in stuff like that. Always seemed to come up with the short stick all my life and learn to live with it. But as awful a wreck that was and the um….you know…pain and crap…this whole thing keeps popping out good stuff. The poker game, the Double KBarS and Jr's family, his mom, Sasha, the reward money, the possibilities expanding your ranch with this other property, now this….kinda hard not to believe in something. And it's not just me who's pulling in all this, either. Everyone's getting benefits. I could've ignored the pull to come down here, we'd been fine never knowing. How do we fill up the canteen, Jr.?"

Jr grabbed some wood pieces of the wagon and dug a trench and then a canteen sized hole a few inches away, dropped the canteen in the hole and opened the little trench and the tarry goo oozed itself like a little river into the canteen's hole and filled it up. After he got what he needed, then Jr refilled the hole and the trench and put a flat rock over the burble hole and laid the flour sack back down. "Anybody ready for some lunch?" He screwed the lid down and draped the canteen sling over his shoulder and headed for the rope.
"I will be once I get to the top." Jess lined up behind him. "You coming, Slim?"

Slim was already lining up behind Jess, "Got your back, Pard."

" 'Ats good, 'cause I'm getting empty, fast."

They made it to the top where Jess latched onto his cane. They ate at the top sitting on the buckboard, finished touring Slim's ranch and made it home by mid-afternoon and spent the rest of the day pouring over Jr's collection of maps and notes. Slim and Jess tried to stay out of Jr's way and calculations, but were constantly peering over his shoulder and the tables trying to figure out what and how Jr was drawing diagrams and calculating. Daisy had a full roast beef dinner cooked to perfection with smashed potatoes and gravy and another fresh apple pie and had so filled the house with aroma, by the time they sat down to eat, it was devoured in record time. They spent the balance of the evening in front of the fireplace over a bourbon bottle Slim had pre-purchased and discussed more business. Jess was aching from sore muscles from the long day and the buckboard, but he stayed up late to write Maggie another letter and had it packed in with the under shirt he wore all day and ready for Jr's travel bag the next morning when Jr. left for home.

The next morning following another Daisy feed all breakfast, Jr patted Buck and snuck a hug around his neck while they were standing at the corral and then turned to finish loading his extra mount for the trip home. From the off side Jess covertly strung the messenger bag off Jr's saddle horn without saying anything and tied it down strong and his hand lingered touching it for several moments and he smiled softly.

"You sure you want to part with him, Jr.?" Slim asked.

"Ya. I knew when he came out a colt, he'd leave some day. Still wanting a filly so bad I can't stand it and I know you'll take care of him, which is important to me. He's the type horse that needs this work up here, so it's better for him, too. Besides, I'm expecting this land deal to go fast and the testing done, we'll be back up here in weeks or a month for fencing and core sampling. Plus I owe my wife and son my undivided for at least that long. Kid's a handful and the timing's right for him to get a sibling, so we're planning on starting number 2 also." He smiled really big at Slim. "May just get that underway while I'm home, although I overheard Mom plotting to send Bessie and me on a vacation when I get back from this. Bessie's been angling for a well-deserved shopping trip to Denver, kind of second honeymoon."

"How many are you going for and boy or girl?" Slim grinned back as he asked.

"Healthy and lots. We both love kids. Never thought I'd enjoy married life and kids, but I wouldn't go back for any money in the world. I enjoyed bachelor life more than anybody, but this married thing is even better. Be 5 years this summer. Got someone I can share my mind with plus get all that connection with a beautiful soul mate any time," he started tightening down his cinch….. "all the physical I want…..morning, afternoon, ….night…all night…" the horse's eyes were beginning to bulge…. "all day long on days off… no worries where she's been… or who with…she loves it too…." Jr paused and grinned at Slim, "but then I'm good….." and he blushed and then started another pull, "Exclusivity has its…."

Jess was beginning to get worried….. "um…Jr."

Jr stopped and looked at Jess, "Ya, Jess?"

Jess nodded at the poor horse's face sympathically and Jr smiled and pulled the stirrup down, began stuttering….. "This..a… sorrel here…..likes to suck his air…."

"Ah..huh." Jess smiled at the excuse, "Can tell he hasn't breathed in a loong while." Jess winked at Slim with a straight, sad face with upturned eyebrows and Slim had to turn away to smother an all out laugh. Undeterred, Jr started tying down his map canisters with the bedroll tethers.

Once he composed himself the cupid in Slim stated, "We got the feeling Chuck had an eye on integrating us into your family." Slim asked coyly in a leading question that would put any attorney on edge.

Jr looked both pleased but then pleaded as though he was under a threat raising both hands momentarily, "I'm sworn to secrecy, guys, so don't torture me, ok? Personally? I would be thrilled to have you both as brothers. Have some real brothers, for a change, if you know what I mean. My sister and that Kensie…be on top of my list if I wasn't related."

"Ya, why didn't you latch onto Kensie?" Jess was snooping, leaning his arms over the saddle using the horse as a weight collector after tying off his side of the map canister.

"Considered it, but she's a little young for me. Mostly I didn't want my sister and her best girlfriend exchanging notes about me on the um… more personal level. Just some things a sister doesn't need to know and since Kensie and I grew up together with Di, she's too much a sister to me already. Bessie and I also grew up together in the same class at school and went through college same, we're just a better match on the inside."

"What about Jeremy and Kensie? Slim thought he'd help Jess snoop.

"Jerry's a science head, a year younger and he's a.. just too rigid for Kenzie, you know, everything's compartmentalized and if anything's out of place he goes nuts, scared to death of horses. 'sides he met a girl who's from Denver the first year in college, studying to be a nurse and both are career focused….. or obsessed may be a better word. They're also moments away from hitching up and I've heard the words "elope back east" more than once, he's just working up nerve to leave the parents out of his wedding. He knows it would tear my mother up and Dad's threatened to leave him out of the will if he ever hurts Mom…but they're already living together back east, folks just don't know. Since her baby brother died Kenzie's an only child, more a free spirit and very smart but strong headed. She needs someone who understands that and has a gentle hand to finish her out. I know the picture of her in the house shows dark hair, but she's got really dark red wavy hair looks like it's on fire in direct sun. She lets it loose it comes down to her waist. Both have blue eyes. Di's a lot like Mom on the inside, a reserve elegance when she needs and mostly to strangers and then bright and playful when she gets to know you. She's a spitting image of mom stand them side by side. Both girls can ride the socks off most men, but Dad refuses to let them go on a trail drive. Um,"

Jr looked around for eavesdroppers and not finding any still continued more quietly,

"… don't know if this is appropriate or not, sometimes my manners get rusty dealing with wranglers and the ugly end of cattle, and I never told nobody but you two; but both girls have never really dated, either, if you understand what I'm sayin'. Kenzie and Di had a couple double dates their senior year, but Dad had me hound dogging, you know, out of sight and they came home together. Both of them told me at different times there's nothing back east but dandies, tenderfoots and greenhorns, so just saying, whomever they marry will get the whole package." Without taking a breath and back to normal volume adding his own hint, "Did Mom tell you they all come home at the holidays?" He then stopped and smiled at Slim. "College they're in closes down for 3 weeks, 's why they have short summers. Ain't telling anybody, but I'd lay money on a brief wedding somewhere's in that 3 weeks and a early baby next spring for Jerry. Knuckle head or not, he IS a man and deals with sperm collection all day in his major and she's a nurse. What equation does that produce, I ask ya? Last I knew, there weren't a lot of cattle ranches back east with bored bulls hanging around. I ain't no dumb cowboy, ya know. Be a busy holiday this year. Anyways, I need to head back. Got a beautiful wife and baby waiting…. well, he's more toddler I guess…new baby to work on."

He climbed on board his horse and bumped into the messenger bag and looked at Jess, "….and a mom and dog, too. Jess, I want to see you on a horse next visit."

He smiled at Jess and they shook hands.

Jess smiled back, "Put money on that too, Jr. Safe trip, give your mom a hug for me."

"She's gunna have you calling her "mom" before you know it." Then he shook Slim's, "Both of you. Make me one daggone happy cowpoke if you would. She's already adopted Kenzie when her mom passed."

He start to leave then pivoted the horse back around in a 360 circle,

"Oh! I almost forgot. To close on the land may require you both to come back to the ranch for signing legal documents, witnessing and such with the attorney and his people witnesses at his office. Dad wanted me to mention that and also the attorney will have you two's partner papers ready by then, too. We should have the crude eval done by then and I'll have better drawings made as far as parceling out the properties as I sketched last night. Any way you two can do another trip?"

He was grinning ear to ear already knowing the answer.

"Jess should be riding by then, faster turnaround. Easier for two to come there than for a group to come here AND drag a ton of paper with them."

"Sure, Jr., just keep us in the loop so I can have someone cover here for the stage. If you can, ask the attorney to mail a copy of the partner papers out here early so's we have a chance to read them and have questions ready? Save some time when we're there."

Jr smiled and saluted a 'can do,' turned his horse sharply and nudged the horse into a lope and waved over his shoulder without looking and was out of sight in a blink.

Slim turned to Jess and patted his shoulder as they began walking to the house,

"I'm guessing that was a cowboy invitation. I'd bet you're just dying to see your girlfriend again, huh?"

"You're just jealous and can't stand it, can ya?"

Jr came galloping back in and plowed a smart skid to a halt stopping on a dime at their nose,

"Oh! The peach jelly?" Neither Slim nor Jess moved an inch, confident in Jr's horsemanship.

"Covered it in the bag, Jr. Go enjoy that wife and kid."

Jr waved again on a smart turn and galloped off, grabbing his hat and yelling over his shoulder, "Don't hafta tell me twice!"

"Poor horse. He's gunna hafta stop and loosen that cinch before he gets home, horse'll pass out on him at that pace." Slim cautioned and Jess chuckled and Slim continued,

"Did he remember the canteen with the crude?"

"It's in the bag, too. Don't worry, Slim, I got your back." Jess placed his hand in the middle of Slim's back as Slim preceded him through the front door. "Wonder how old he is?"

Slim responded from inside the house, "Chuck said he was 30, the girls are 24 and Jerry's 21."

CHAPTER: 18 The Tie Down, Head and Heel and Branding the Land.

Slim was riding Buck and Jess was on Traveler and having covered the distance between the relay station and the Double KBarS by horseback over country they had made the trip in one long day. They were due and on time, but Jess was stiff and sore re-waking older muscle patterns on a long day ride. He'd been back on horseback for short excursions several days before the doctor had known or approved it, to nobody's surprise, and all the stitches were gone, he just had residue scabs on the deeper sites and they were itching but not ready to turn loose. They'd ridden in a sequence of easy gallops and lopes, occasionally walking and had stopped for a Daisy-packed lunch where Jess stretched out under the tree to let some kinks ease out some. He was wearing the shoulder holster for this trip because the hip gash was still fussy about the hip holster. Otherwise, it was a beautiful fall day, clear skies and trees in full color with a warm sun and cool breeze and as they approached the Double KBarS complex for the 3 or 4 day turnaround trip they noticed about a half mile ahead of them a nicely trimmed out buggy on the road they were about to join for the last mile or so. Buck seemed to get antsier the closer they came and Slim was having his hands full keeping him from racing to the barn Buck had identified by smell. They had arrived at the road.

Jess saw the buggy first, "Hey, you suppose that's who I think it is on her mail run?"

"Wouldn't surprise me." Slim was fussing with Buck. "Hey, Jess, I've got to fix Buck's attitude here. Thinks he's in charge. Give me a minute to run him back up the road and change his mind, will ya? Don't want to be charging in all hot down there."

Jess was a little impatient, but chuckled. The stop sounded good to his sore spots and he pulled up and stopped so he could keep an eye on the buggy and Slim both going in opposite directions.

"Ya, ok."

He wrapped the reins around the saddle horn, adjusted his hat and stood in the stirrups and then off sideways onto the right leg to straighten the bow and changing the blood flow to his lower half. Slim wrestled some with Buck but got him turned and the leg pressure didn't work, so Slim cuffed him in authority with his spurs. That got both Buck's attention and stallion angst and they shot off back up the road in a dead out race so hard that Slim had to haul leather to stay aboard watching Buck's ears pinned back in pure stallion attitude. Jess grinned widely watching the master horseman refreshing the awesome stud's etiquette and then glanced back at the buggy still moving at a solid pace. Slim pushed Buck's pace with leg pressure until he saw the release of the ears and felt the pull on the bridle ease and lightly tugged the reins regaining full ownership of the bit, then immediately released the forward drive pressure on his legs and slowly brought Buck back down to a gallop, then lope and finally a walk. Buck was smart enough, or tired enough to not repeat his mistake and offered no challenge, so Slim turned him gently to lope back to Jess. Jess watched the end of the argument and smiled then looked again at the buggy just as the buggy suddenly jerked, the horse partially reared up in mid trot, and then shot off at a mad gallop. Slim saw it, too, his hands never leaving the tension on the reins reading Buck's attitude. The last thing Slim needed now was to have to spur Buck into a chase toward the ranch they had just argued about and was relieved to see Jess turn, gather Traveler and take off after the buggy. Traveler had one ear forward in eager excitement and one ear back listening to Jess' wishes and very happy to have a smooth road to release some highly bottled up energy after being penned for 7 weeks. They quickly reached the buggy and Jess grabbed the buggy horse's bridle and eased him gently to a stop. Slim had been able to move Buck into a short gallop and they caught up about 10 seconds later, Buck under full control and offering no more silliness. There was a tree along the side of the road and Jess picked up the loose rein on his side of the buggy and tied it to the tree, stiffly got off of Traveler who immediately followed Jess like a puppy wanting a longer run, and approached the rider of the buggy.

It was Maggie. She was disheveled, her hat askew and she was pale and breathless hanging onto the other rein and the buggy seat. When the heroic rider turned to face the buggy after dismounting his horse, her heart skipped a beat confirming what she felt in her heart having seen his back and immediately reached her arms to him. But trying to stand on a wobbly buggy and post adrenaline knees didn't work so well and on 50 year old legs, she teetered precariously. As Jess got off Traveler and turned to the buggy, he saw her teetering and instantly jumped forward catching her before she could fall out of the buggy. Neither one spoke a word, they didn't need words. She melted into his capture and he encircled her in his hug taking off his hat and they stood hugging for the longest time until Maggie could breathe enough to speak.

Maggie was wiping tears of relief mixed with utter joy, "Oh, Jess!" still gasping some.

"We're gunna hafta stop meeting like this, Maggie, your husband will get jealous." Jess smiled pulling back and leaning slightly forward and down so he could check out her face.

"I was so hoping for a last minute package from you today, for poor Sasha, but there was nothing in the mail. I don't know what happened. Oh, hi, Slim!"

Slim doffed his hat brim. "Ma'am," and smiled at the two of them.

"Ol' Dotty there…" she pointed at the buggy horse pulling off lacey gloves one finger at a time…. "just never spooks, she's so calm, been driving her for years. I was busy looking around and enjoying all the pretty trees, reminds me of Boston. I think it might have been a snake and she just …." She gestured one hand passing the other very fast.

"There was a small tree limb back there looks like it could have been a snake." Slim advised. "Passed it when I was catching up."

"Well, ok then, that must have been it." She sounded relieved, then took Jess' face in both hands smiled up at him, "Oh, Jess you've rescued me again!" She kissed his chin again.

"Always a pleasure to be of service to such a beautiful, young woman." Jess was trying to deflect the attention.

"Well!" She dropped her hands, turned slightly away blushing and then looked back out of the corner of her eye. "Not so sure about the "young" anymore. Time is marching right by!" She grinned.

Slim wanted in on some of the action, "You do look younger, Lady W, brighter than the last trip. You get a new dressmaker?" Trying to connect on a woman's theme of interest that had served him well before with younger ladies.

She looked down at her dress trying to remember what she put on, smoothed her hand down the skirt and unfolded a corner that had crumpled up in the turmoil,

"This old thing? I think I've had this dress since Texas. But it had been hanging off me. Finally fits again. Dug out a lot of my old clothes, even from Boston. It's like getting a whole new wardrobe." She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sun looking up at Slim, "You gunna climb down from that steed so I can give you a hug, big guy?"

Slim was somewhat surprised at her interest but not one to turn down hugs from a lady, he immediately got down with an eager anticipation. She patted Buck on the shoulder and then walked into Slim's body and wanting to hug his neck, he was too tall and she diverted giving him a waist level hug. It was unsatisfactory, so she backed up enough to look up again into his face,

"Are you sure you're getting enough oxygen at that altitude?"

"Um…yes Ma'am." Slim didn't get it. She remained in place not releasing him.

She looked over at Jess, "What do you do to get him to lean over, Jess?"

Jess chuckled. "Punch him in the gut. Or, you can stomp on his toes….that works, too."

She looked up at Slim expectantly without saying anything and he finally understood. He blushed and leaned over where she immediately grabbed him around the neck and hugged him and he very lightly placed his hands on her waist in a gentlemanly response.

"You want his view?" Jess offered Maggie.

"Sure."

Jess looked at Slim with an upward nod and Slim gently took her around the waist tighter and stood up to his normal height holding her eye level as she maintained her hold around his neck and shoulders, her feet dangling in the air a foot above her normal height. Her eyes never left his face.

"Oh MY! I bet you can see for miles up here….what beautiful eyes you have, Slim Sherman. So gentle. You should let more people in…this deeper part of you. No wonder you and Jess are close. Jess, have you seen this?"

Slim was beginning to get really nervous wondering what exactly she was seeing in his eyes and he frowned slightly while blushing.

"Yes, Ma'am, I have." Jess softly admitted smiling at Slim for his predicament.

Maggie took Slim's face in her hands and kissed his lips off center and then began to wiggle herself down. Slim was stunned but slowly replanted her on the ground. She turned back around and looked Jess up and down and then quickly at Traveler who was still standing in direct contact with Jess' back. Jess was slouched a little bent forward from a tired back and legs. "Oh, you do look much better this time, how are you feeling?" She reached up slowly and drew her finger down the side of his face noticing the pinched tiredness. "Did you come all in one day?"

"Ya, little stiff, but much better now on board him." He held up the reins in his left hand indicating a horse, then tucked the reins under his waist belt and Traveler inched to his left elbow.

"Well, let's get on to the house and get you both settled, same rooms are all ready and waiting. I've got a little girl who's going to be so thrilled to see you. She's got quite a collection of your clothes on your bed she won't leave, or let me wash."

She turned and began to crawl back into the buggy and Jess helped her while Slim boarded Buck.

"Poppa's got all kinds of business lined up and chomping at the bit, can't wait for you both to land. I put a turkey in the smoker this morning, should be close to done, too. Hope you're hungry."

Jess mounted and they began at a collected trot to the house, continuing to talk.

"Jr get back from his vacation?"

"Yes, they got back this morning, all tuckered out. He'll be available tomorrow, but since they didn't take Buddy, they wanted to spend the evening with him. Poppa had to ride over to see Elroy this afternoon but he'll be back in time for supper, and it's all set up for a meeting tomorrow at the attorney's office in town."

They arrived at the front hitching post and again Larry appeared from nowhere and took the buggy and the two horses off. As Jess and Slim pulled off small hanging luggage items Slim quietly asked Larry to not put Buck in his old stall and Larry waved an acknowledgement.

Jess and Slim followed Lady W to the front door and Jess opened it for her, with his other hand holding the luggage herding her through it and Slim caught up and followed them in. The entryway repeated its effect on both of them and they stopped to take another look and breathe deeply. Lady W turned to look at them and smiled, then flapping her gloves into the other hand she turned toward the kitchen.

"I just need to check the smoker real fast, gentlemen. Help yourself to your rooms and I have some lemonade chilling. I'm almost positive Sasha will be on your bed, Jess."

"Oh, no." Slim teased, "I can't watch you two throwing yourselves at each other again. Could you use some help with the smoker?"

She paused looking back at his offer, "You know anything about Texas smoked meat?"

"No Ma'am but I'm sure willing to learn."

"Ok, it's a 17 pound bird, I could use the muscle."

She smiled and waved him to follow like an old friend to Slim reaching for his elbow and he couldn't resist her instant friendship again. He tossed his luggage bag at Jess who caught it and walked down the hall swinging one in one hand and the other in his other hand and whistling a happy tune.

Jess tossed Slim's luggage on his bed as he cut through the room to reach his and from the adjoining door he could see Sasha. She was laying curled tightly in the middle of the bed surrounded up to her top surface in his wadded up clothing, in a deep sleep and whining quietly every few seconds as if dreaming. He paused only briefly watching her with a soft face wondering if he should wake her from her afternoon nap but the whining got to him. He quietly kneeled at the side of the bed and laid his hat over the top of her like a loose blanket. She instantly woke up and raised her head but that put her head fully into the box of his hat completely covering her. She whined and shook her head and the hat fell off and he caught it placing it on the side table without taking his eyes off her. She blinked slowly and turned looking toward him where she saw the movement and instantly stood up and launched herself into his arms wiggling everywhere, kissing his face with tiny licks whining in joy mixed with little woofs of sheer delight, her tail in non-stop motion moving her whole body. Jess eased onto the bed amongst the wadded clothing and Sasha began repeatedly diving into and wallering all over him and with her nose examined every inch of where each injury site had been.

"Checking me out, huh, baby? I'm all better thanks to you. You're a good little nurse."

Once she slowed down a little, Jess gently took her, hugged her body and kissed the top of her head and she eagerly rubbed into him, tail still going. The softness of the bed called like a soft fluffy cloud to Jess' trip-tired muscles and he rolled to his back on the bed with his boots hanging off the side, staring at the now familiar ceiling beams and groaned softly. It was the perfect invitation and Sasha crawled up on his chest and they were face to face and hip to hip again as Jess started scratching below her ear wings and she leaned her head into his fingers first one side, then the other. The light weight of her body again flattened out the lower part of his back against the bed causing it to quiet down. There was an amazing peace in this house and for some odd reason he felt his mom close when in this bedroom. Perhaps it was because of the chat he'd had with Maggie, he thought, or the long buried secrets he'd shared with Slim. Whatever the reason, he enjoyed it.

Back in the kitchen Slim had easily lifted the huge turkey out of the smoker putting it on the nearby counter for Maggie that she's pointed to so she could baste it with smoke juice titillating Slim's poor nose and when she was finished he put it back in and she closed the door.

"Boy that sure smells delicious."

"Coming along nicely. Be done in another hour, hour and half. It's on time for supper. Thank you, Slim. That's a huge turkey, but I planned for extra later, sandwiches and the like. Learned how to smoke meat when we lived in Texas, Poppa's mother taught me. All barbeque and smoke down there and Poppa missed it so much he bought this one special and had it shipped up here. Wouldn't know it, but that smoker is older than Jerry. But like they say, it's just gettin' good and broke in."

She chuckled and grabbed the lemonade pitcher from her icebox and 3 glasses. She handed a plateful of fresh made cinnamon rolls to Slim and gestured to follow her to a bay window area on the opposite side of the kitchen from the dining room. It was a breakfast nook that, like the big ceiling to floor window in the main area of the house, had a large bay window that looked out toward the mountain range. It held a round, wood table with 4 chairs with a smaller antler hanging chandelier. Slim held her chair and she sat down and he joined her.

"With the kids all out of the house Poppa and I generally eat over here. I love this view and he had the builders include this bay for me. It's such a peaceful view and with the trees and meadow, it has all the four seasons like Boston. So I just love it here."

"It's beautiful, Ma'am. You have a gorgeous home and both Jess and I noticed how peaceful it is. Jess sometimes cooks. I came home from a business trip once and found Jess cooking two chickens on a spit he'd arranged over our small forge just outside the barn, some kind of open pit barbeque or something. I've eaten over campfires but that was sure a good chicken. Don't know if he seasoned it or not and it just melted in your mouth."

"Jess, cook? Now that's something I'd like to see. But, he's born Texan, he should be able to put something together that's outdoor cooked. Never thought of using a forge." She giggled. "He's funny." She reached over and squeezed Slim's forearm and looked at him with shiny blue eyes. "How's he doing?"

"Well, we're both pretty much still stunned by all the developments last two months, plus getting through the accident. He's doing remarkably well considering the upheaval he's been through."

That was the lower priority of her intent in the question, but was good information to know and she nudged Slim into her first priority. "How's he doing physically and inside?"

"Well, he pushed getting back on the horse 4 days early and paid for it. His endurance is not quite up to normal and he's still below his original weight. But that's all typical for him. Appetite is picking up, but he says his stomach shrank so the capacity is still not what it was and he's still snacking."

"What do you mean "paid for it."?"

"Sitting astride a horse and then when that horse is moving works a lot of muscles in tandem and when that's strong, the balance aboard is very natural to the movement of the horse. He found once things healed up straight, they had to be stretched back out in the movement mounting, dismounting, moving, even just sitting and the muscles were weak and then didn't have the endurance after being torn up then motionless for 2 months. So he's having to work back up to what it used to be."

"I see. Makes sense. Is this his first long trip?"

"It's really his first long ride of anything. He's been doing short errands at home, longest was a ride into town….that's about 12 miles. So I'd bet he's stretched out back there on that bed with Sasha."

"That's fine. I want him to feel at home and rest. We stirred up a lot of memories here on your last visit. Is he handling them ok?"

"Seems to be. The dreams of the accident have faded. He had some of his childhood, but haven't seen anything there in weeks, either. Been very busy at our place, fixing up here and there, making room for the cattle, you know, trying to prepare for winter."

"Yes, busy ness can tend to suppress other needs. Tell me about yourself, Slim. I didn't get much chance to get to know you earlier."

She poured their lemonades putting one glass in front of Slim without asking and put a cinnamon bun on a saucer for him. Then she served herself.

"Not much to tell, Ma'am. Something specific you want to know?"

"Well, your family, childhood, things like that." Slim plowed into the snack.

"Pretty much just been in Wyoming, my parents bought the ranch but they both passed during the war leaving it to my younger brother, Andy and me. Andy's just finishing high school and headed into college in St. Louis. I was a 2Lt in the Union army then after wandering a year or so came back to the ranch. My dad had passed and my mother did shortly after I got home. Compared to Jess' life, mine's been pretty darn boring."

"Stable, sounds like to me. You finished high school obviously. Any college?"

"None, just what the war taught me. Why is high school obvious?" Slim was perplexed.

"Your grammar and thought processes are at least high school, I would have pegged you with a good amount of college. It's the way you carry yourself, Slim, very mature and solid. And you're just as handsome and charming as Jess but you don't carry as many scars like he has. I don't know why the two of you are still available, especially you. I certainly would have been chasing if I were younger and not married to Poppa. You have issues with marriage?"

"Not at all, looking all the time. It's just in our area of the woods, the um…..herd's not so large, if you get what I'm…." Slim started stuttering and blushing.

"Oh, I understand. Small town, not a lot of resources outside the business girls. Ranches all small and spread out and a small crop of ranch girls worth anything."

"Ya, we had a pretty good looking school teacher came to Laramie year or so back and about 15 of us bachelors were all at the starting gate." His embarrassment faded quickly as he could see she was simply seeking information and not prying. Her coziness in manner as though they'd been close friends forever kept amazing Slim and he thoroughly enjoyed it.

"What happened?"
"An attorney nabbed her in a heartbeat." Slim chucked and Maggie perked up, "Jess had actually landed a date with her but the Army asked him to take care of an urgent matter. He came back 2 days later with a hole in his shoulder and the school teacher was engaged. That seems to be Jess' luck."

"Poor fellow." They smiled compassionately at each other as though in cahoots on a secret.

"He flits among the flowers, but he's actually scared to commit, I think. Told Daisy once, two things he's terrified of is a good woman and being afoot."

"That'll change, he meets the right one. You too, Slim. You a scared flitter?"

"No. …..I mean, ya I notice and keep my eyes open. Getting there pretty fast….actually, getting' old. Gunna hafta make some dee-cisions, as Jess says. My priority for marriage is to first have at least the ground work of a good, stable income and career feet on the ground so I can be a right provider. Never know, kids start showing up and those are mouths to feed, too. One thing I won't do, is leave them high and dry. And I've got a line on a pretty wonderful gal right now, but she's on a trip. We're waiting until she gets back to get serious."

"There's the responsibility factor I saw in your eyes earlier. You're a marvelous man, Slim. This woman is going to be very lucky." Maggie was about to ask further about this woman but didn't get the chance.

Jess showed up in a slow, stiff walk with Sasha in step at his side finally at peace as being rightful in her place at his side. He was rubbing his eyes and looking around the nooks and crannies of the house trying to find where their voices were coming from and finally rounded the kitchen's island and spotting them, came up to the table. Slim and Maggie smiled at each other watching him wobble through the dining room and kitchen bouncing off one wall or other piece of furniture. He finally came to a stop a few paces off the table still rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Dadgum, I put my head down for Sash and wake up 3 days later. I'm so sorry." Jess apologized for his power nap. "That's one dangerous bed back there. Just reaches out an snags ya."

Maggie patted the place next to her opposite of Slim that was empty and Jess quickly slipped into it looking around, "Can sure smell that smoker! Turkey huh? Wow!" Sasha immediately jumped into his lap and Jess wasn't sure that was allowed.
"I'll put her down if you don't allow …." His hand was holding her entire body.

"I don't mind, Jess, as long as Poppa's not here. He'd probably frown at the food table." She poured his lemonade and put a cinnamon bun on another saucer and placed it in front of him.

Jess skootched his chair aligning it to the table where Sasha could lay across his lap under the edge of the table mostly out of sight and where he could eat and immediately chugged the whole glass of lemonade in one long drink.

"Dadgum, that's good. Sure hits the spot." He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand as Maggie offered a napkin, then embarrassingly took the napkin and slightly blushing, dabbed his lips more appropriately. Jess noticed Slim and Maggie had eaten their buns with a fork, so he grabbed one from the stack next to the saucer supply and began on his own delicacy.

"More lemonade?" Maggie offered and Jess handed his glass to her.

"Yes, please. You and.." Jess was talking between chews "..Slim there, talkin' about me?"

"Mostly about Slim….and beautiful women." Maggie offered nonchalantly, grinning at Slim who smiled back still amused at Jess' disheveled appearance.

Jess stopped chewing in surprise, "Oh really? "Slim and beautiful women" all in one sentence?" he half grinned at Slim then resumed chewing.

"Oh, I learned a whole lot, Jess. Some things would really surprise you." Maggie played along winking at Slim covertly. Jess almost choked and he looked quickly at Slim again who was holding a poker face.

"Like what?"

"Oh, a lot about what he looks for, what he's preparing to do, deecisions he's fixing to make."

Jess was really getting worried that Slim and Maggie were discussing Di and Kenzie or even Josie without him. His face got forlorn and long like a lost puppy. "Without talkin' to mm….?"

Slim pointed with his fork to Sasha under the edge of the table.

"Well, you got your girlfriend, Jess. Left me out here all alone…..what am I supposed to do?"

He was trying very hard to hold a straight face as was Maggie.

"She's my nurse, Slim, and a daggone good one, too!"

He waved his fork up and down his body,

"You know she inspected every inch of each injury site I have? Remembered every single one, too! Checking me for blood and drainage."

Sasha wagged her tail still laying across his lap, she looked up at him and he caught the side of her face in his left hand, reached down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"And you don't think a girlfriend wouldn't have done the same?"

Slim challenged in a jest and Maggie covered her smile with her hand leaning on her elbow at the table watching back and forth like a tennis match as they went blow to blow.

"Well….." Jess wasn't expecting good logic. "My girlfriend wouldn't have been allowed to go that far." He reached down and stroked her back…. "At least not this early in our relationship." He volleyed back.

"Uh, huh. At least not that you'd admit. I'd even put money down, you got back there and she was on the bed, you woke her up and she threw herself at you."

Jess looked helplessly to Maggie and back to Slim, guilt written all over his face.

"C'mon, admit it. She had you on your back in 2 minutes." Slim was grinning and having a blast.

Jess grit his teeth looking sideways at Slim.

"SLIM!"

Slim was giving away too many secrets but he was on a roll and Maggie was trying desperately to not break out in laughter.

"He can't help it, Ma'am. Women chase him down like a poor, wet rat and he's got no resistance. Except school marms and the like who prefer attorneys. It's sad, purely sad what some of 'em do, too!"

That did it, Jess dropped his voice to the gunfight warning.

"Slim!" and put his fork down and Sasha growled deep and low.

Slim raised his eyebrows faking terror. Maggie raised her eyes, now not so sure this was all fun and games…and shielding her face on Slim's side with her hand, she caught Jess' attention and winked at him nodding slightly at Slim. Jess caught on immediately and held suspending the air.

"I know Sasha wouldn't do something as gauche as that, Jess, and she IS a good nurse. It's like I was telling Slim, if I were younger and not married, I'd be chasing both of you myself." She offered Jess a way out.

"Ya, well if you were younger and not married….." Jess started still keeping an eye on Slim.

"…we'd both be fighting over you." Slim finished, offering a smile to Jess and a compliment to Maggie.

Unaware to all of them, Chuck had arrived home and come through the back kitchen door quietly and overheard Slim's comment. He came up from behind Slim and Jess saw him first and gently snuck Sasha down between his legs where she promptly circled once and laid down on his boots. Slim jumped in surprise as Chuck leaned down and put his arms around the seated Lady W…surprising her mildly but instantly recognizing her husband's touch.

"Anybody fights over my wife will have to face me!" Chuck stated in a half threat, half good-hearted challenge.

"Oh, Poppa!" She gently stood up within his hug and turned into him and they embraced.

Jess and Slim stood up and were lined up to shake his hand.

"They were just saying if I was younger and NOT married." She explained.

"Ya, well, that only shows good taste, then, 'cause you're the catch of a lifetime, darlin'." His Texan background oozed. "Could smell that turkey 5 miles away. I'm ready."

"Another hour Poppa. I've got to start the rest of the meal. You men go talk somewhere." She withdrew from his hug and waved her hands sweeping them away from the table.

Chuck poured the last of the lemonade into Maggie's glass and drank it down in one swallow and gestured for Slim and Jess to follow him to the living room.

"Be best we go grab a sit, let Momma have the kitchen. Jess, you are looking fine, my man. How are you feeling?"

"Much better, Chuck. Good to get around again."

"How long did the trip take?"

"One day, Sir. Much quicker than the roads."

"Well, we may have to grade a road in at least part of the distance where we can. Appears business is about to pick up and we're going to be seeing lots of each other. Here, grab a sit."

He pointed to chairs near the fireplace. Typically in a rut, Slim and Jess each took the same chairs they used before and Sasha quickly landed in Jess' lap before his bum had full contact with the seat cushion and she curled up for another nap while he covered her with his hand again.

"Where do I start?" Chuck mumbled scratching his chin. "Your partner papers look ok?"

"Few minor questions on legal words, but otherwise looks good. I like the way your attorney fit Andy in." Slim answered, "That was quite ingenious."

"Good, we can get right to it, then. You want the short version or the details?"

"Well, um…yes." Slim returned.

"Good deal. Jump in with questions then. The land for purchase is all ready to sign. My attorney got the price we'd offered, a steal, if I must say. Prices and details for your opt out buying from me we can go over in my attorney's office tomorrow. It's basically a pro-rated sell out to you based on a staged buy over a period of years and the timing is subject to how soon you begin pulling a profit on either the cattle or the awl on your land. It's going to be specified as a flexible time frame depending on how fast you want it or can move. I've got plenty of capitol available for that 15 sections, so there's no hurry or pressure on your buy out….fact I get a write off the longer it takes."

Slim interrupted, "Excuse me, what is "awl"?"

Jess half smiled holding a finger up to pause Chuck, "It's oil, in Texas speak." Jess interpreted the southern drawl of a born Texan.

"Oh, sorry." Slim blushed.

Chuck nodded no problem and continued, "The good thing is we'll be securing the land, got the price that was fair and includes mineral rats should that crude pocket of yours extend over. If the crude extends over and I still own the new purchase, I'd like to retain a small ownership share. My business is cattle and horses. At my age, I'm not looking for a new industry, neither is Jr, but want to keep my hand in as mostly an advisory to you men and your growth into the awl industry. More a watchdog really, than the money until you get your feet under you. Y'all are taking some pretty deep steps all of a sudden and I'm here to help."
"Sounds good." Slim offered and Jess was nodding in agreement.

"Mineral rats?" Slim whispered to Jess and Jess whispered back, "rights."

"The big part here is that crude sample test result came in at high grade purity especially considering it was up the hill and suspected to be a feeder vein. AS that is uphill, that pocket may be so full it's ready to gush, so time is of the essence here, in getting core samples to find out how large the pocket is and at what depth. The purpose is to get the pressure off the pocket if it's fixing to push uphill. That's good, but it adds time pressure. The assessor indicated from looking at the notes and geologicals Jr brought in, that we could be looking at within 6 months, or by spring to get that pressure tapped and regulated. He said it's unusual to have a feeder vein pushing uphill but likely was caused by the awl finding a pressure relief through a fault in the ground and we don't want that fault spreading or rupturing from the pressure. Make sense?"

"Reckon so." Jess said.

"I know you're from Texas, Jess and wrangler is in your blood, but the other half of Texas is awl, so that's in your veins, too. Just maybe never considered that. I understand Slim's all wrangler from his dad. You two can work that out, as partners. What's landing on your plates is a whole heck of a lot of business in a tremendously short time frame. What I'm ready to do is offer wranglers since we're on down time until the heifers begin to drop late winter. They are paid by me, and I want to get some benefit of their wages rather than them polishing saddles and gear. I've got the connection lined up for the core sampling and a refinery through businesses my attorney also handles, trustworthy companies who can keep their mouth shut. We need to get your pastures fenced and re-fenced and the new land fenced according to the mapping Jr has worked out while those core samples are being done. Then once we get what I'm calling the "High 20" underway, you and Slim can help with the cattle drives next summer. The "High 20" is your sections at the higher altitudes than we are down here, both your 5 and the new 15. You can change that if you like, I just needed a handle to use. Somewhere this winter I'd like to meet with your doctor friend and I have to leave the last 2 weeks of December and 1st week of the New Year open for my college kids who will be home for the holidays. So!" He looked at Slim and Jess open for questions.

"Can you fill us in on your attorney?" Slim was interested.

"My attorney is the son of the best friend and partner my father had, who was also an attorney; both seniors have since passed on. My attorney and I have been partners for years and we grew up together but he's got twice the college I received. I have complete confidence in his business and integrity and every business he's led me to through the years have been men of integrity, too. You can bring in your own, as you like, it's purely up to you."

"What's his name?" Jess asked wanting to see if he knew the guy.

"Peter Levine, goes by Pete. He's from Denver originally, but didn't like the society angle so he moved to and owns a law group in Boulder. Lately he spends most of his time in Ft. Collins due to the growth of industry headed to Wyoming."

"Sounds good to me to continue with him, if there's no conflict of interest." Slim affirmed.

"I don't see how. He's paid on a scale of the profit, so it's to his best interest and income, to keep things clean. Don't find many left today of his breed. You're awful quiet, Jess."

"Listening and learning, Chuck. I like it fast and straight to the point."

"Slim and you go over the cattle pedigree and branding info?"

"Yes, seemed upright and clean, even clever. I'm eager to see what these cattle produce, especially mixed with Slim's…..ours."

"Where are you with the awl?"

"Panhandle was full of it, made lots of men rich. My dad and brothers weren't interested in getting sweaty, so I don't know a whole lot. Always interested in learning new things, but it's an unknown profit, so I'll keep up with the cattle part. Pocket may prove too small to do anything with, too, or be too risky or cost too much to bring in."
"Don't count the chickens before they hatch."

"Rat." Jess' Texas DNA started leaking. "Money's like guns to me, Chuck, depends on who's holding it."

"Still keeping an ever watchful eye on the horizon. I guess that part of you will never stop."

"I hope not." Slim interjected.

"Meetings at 9:30 in the morning in town, a 40-45 minute ride. Probably have lunch there, really great restaurant next door. Need to leave here no later than 8:30, I like to be early to appointments. Didn't see the barn when I came in. You riding, Jess?"

"Yes, Sir! Glad to be back at it. You still ride, Chuck or is Lady W. coming?"

"She's wanting to come, there's a few stores she likes to graze in, so we'll buggy mostly to carry stuff back in. You men can ride escort. Jr will be coming, that's if Bessy can leave him alone and he can still walk." Chuck chuckled pulling on his waist belt.

"He says he needs a breather, imagine that."

Jess' eyes twinkled and Slim covered his mouth with a finger as they looked at each other trying not to break out in laughter over tight cinches.

Chuck continued "Got a big smile, though. They're starting on number 2, ya know, can't keep them apart since he got back from your place. Good to see a couple like that, those two have always been on the same page; he got him a good one. Say! He sure enjoyed his visit out there. Said its real pretty land. Terrific pasture grass."

"Sounds like a day of it, then." Slim offered.

"Yep. Momma's got another food fest lined up here tomorrow evening as a celebration of the land purchase and the official partnerships. Bessy and Ana, our widder lady who works for us, be cooking all day tomorrow. Got a half side of beef they'll be smoking, saw it marinating when I came in. That Bessy, can cook, mind ya. We eat good around here."

Lady W poked her head around the corner and announced dinner in 15 minutes and the men wrangled their bums out of the chairs and started down the hall to make room. Jess was a little slower than Slim, taking longer to get up and with Sasha twirling at his feet. He caught Maggie's elbow as she was about to disappear back into the kitchen and motioned for her to come close.

"Mag….Ma'am" He looked around then drew her further away by her elbows and with Chuck and Slim already down the hall she looked around trying to find out who he was hiding from. Then she looked him up and down for medical issues.

"Yes, Jess. What is it? Are you hurting? At first she thought Jess needed medical attention.

"Shhh….c'mere." She leaned in close. "I um….need some help." Jess whispered urgently but with a playful tone and she relaxed.

"Sure, Sweetheart. Anything." Maggie was thrilled.

"I'm not real polished at this and don't quite know what to do. I'd like to buy something or two or three, really nice, I mean, real lady stuff. See, Daisy, our …."

"Yes, Jess, I know who she is."

"Well, she's also a trained nurse from the war, and she's spent hours working on my injuries, including helping the doc patch me back together, changing bandages, fixing special food. I'd like to get her something special as a thank you because she won't take any money. I figure if it's a gift, then she can't say no. But I don't know what would be a good gift, or gifts and all, especially since she's a little bit older than me. We don't have much at the house and she brought with her everything she owned in a couple boxes on the stage."

He pulled from his pocket three $100 bills and fanned them out.

"I also don't know where to buy really nice lady gifts or how much they cost. Chuck said you're coming with us to town tomorrow, I thought I would ask for your advice and help…you know, shopping and all. Is this enough to buy some really nice women things?"

Lady W's eyebrows raised. "That's a lot of money, Jess, you could buy a whole lot of really nice lady things with that. What does she like or wear?"

Jess gestured sizes and shapes as he described items, "Well, she wears these hats with flowers on them even when she's just going to town. She has long blond hair she wears up on top her head, so maybe some, you know," he spread his fingers out jamming them into his head which crumpled the bills, "some of those fancy comb things with decorations on them. She wears aprons, but that's work stuff."

"What colors does she like?"

"I don't know what she likes. She wears blues, greens, purple, light ones, cheery, small little flowers on them. She has a black hat, and a purple one and likes flowers. OH! I thought maybe one of those really lacey things they wrap around their shoulders, you know, like for church, kinda delicate like the um….tattling you sent me. She's got several warm ones. Goes every week. Or even one of those really nice hair brushes with a matching comb and mirror… you know, kinda proper lady things that maybe a woman wants but would never buy for herself."

"Those are all great ideas, Jess. Any one of them would be a nice gesture of appreciation."

"I know, but she did more than one thing, one time for me. I want to get her lots of things, and I don't know where to buy stuff like this. I…we never had money…so I could buy my mom gifts…so I need help. Will you please?" There was just enough little boy Jess seeping through that no mother on earth could have denied him and it absolutely melted Maggie's heart.

"Of course Jess, I'd be more than glad to help. You could get all those things for just one of these bills, and I could bring you change. Do you want them gift wrapped?"

"Uh….oh, ya, I don't have that either. Good idea! But they need to be wrapped somehow I can get them home on a horse, though. Thought I'd buy Slim a new folding pocket knife, too, you know high quality maybe 3-4 inches long to kinda remember our partnership deal tomorrow. Most expensive one they have if I have enough there. One he has is all rusty and wobbly, like as not cut his finger off and he'll be with me all day so I can't sneak away. If there's one of those shops in your town, and something for Mike, just so's he's not left out. He's 7."

Not knowing the price of knives, Maggie took all 3 bills and folded them up tucking them in her skirt pocket. She patted Jess' hands gently.

"You can count on me, Jess. If it's anything I know how to do, its shop! I know exactly where to go and I'll get all three of your people taken care of."

Jess stood really close to her head.

"And oh!...sshhhhh! It's a secret ok, don't tell Slim."

Jess put his finger to his lips and Maggie copied him, giggling, then gestured locking her lips shut with a key. Jess smiled big and gathered her in an impish hug.

"Thank you so much, Ma….Maggie."

"You're quite welcome, Jess. Thank you for asking." She was getting watery eyes and they heard Slim and Chuck coming back to the dining room. Jess turned smartly as though nothing was being conspired, checked to see if Slim was wearing a tie and slipped off down the hall rubbing his hands together in anticipation. With Jess' back disappearing down the hall and Sasha sashaying beside him, Maggie looked like a deer caught in headlights. They could hear Jess telling Sasha as they got further away….. "Gunna have me some SMOKED turkey, Sash! Real Texas turkey. Never had that before! Do you like turkey? I'll nab some for you….for later."

"What is it, Momma?" Chuck noticed and Slim stopped a few steps back to observe.

"Oh… nothing, Poppa." She stirred from her reverie, wiped her hands off on her apron and marched back into the kitchen to begin bringing out the food.

- END OF PART ONE -

Parts 2 and 3 are in the process of being written. Please check back in a few months.

Part Two: Partnerships and business; college kids, holidays, hospital and a wedding; tragedy strikes during a barn fire; Josie (The Inheritance) comes home a changed woman and who pairs up with whom; Slim receives a huge endowment; Andy returns with a new career that opens the door to the railroad, who will marry whom and what happens during medical complications.

Part Three:Another wedding, more twins, the fulfillment of Jess' twin dream, Poppa and Maggie's lives change drastically and who becomes the new Padron of the Wentworth-Sherman-Harper empire as Slim and Jess become more than partners in business.